


When A Monster Strikes

by TheSPNFriends



Series: When A Monster Strikes [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Arguing, Bromance, Comedic Moments, Dean is a little idiot, Death, Demons, Family, Fluff, Ghosts, Hunting, Hurt and comfort, Lore - Freeform, Minor death, Monsters, Murder, Sadness, Sam is also a little idiot, a lot of baggage stowed away, also on Wattpad, canon rewrite???, in canon lore, learning to be a hunter, my little pony - Freeform, references to movies and other stuff, season 5, sister brother relationship, some gore, under the same url as here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 59
Words: 100,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27749983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSPNFriends/pseuds/TheSPNFriends
Summary: Jessica Coleman used to have a normal life. She went to work and lived with her best friend Rachel...life seems pretty okay until Jessica was thrown into a world of monsters, that go bump in the night and met two brothers that changed her life forever.This is a story of bromantic love, loss, demons, angels, and the rest of the Supernatural. Will Jessica be able to help the Winchesters and the angel Cas slam the devil back in his box or will she lose herself along the way? Find out in When a Monster Strikes...The first few chapters are all works of imagination. Then we start at the episode 'Abandon All Hope' in Season 5 and continue with selected episodes.
Series: When A Monster Strikes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2029915
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. The Pony Caper

**_*Disclaimer we don't own My Little Pony or Supernatural, they belong to their respective creators.*_ **

**_-TheSPNFriends_ **

• • • • • • ** _  
_**

**_(Jess' POV)  
_ **

There once was a girl named Rachel. She had a best friend named Jessica.

Both girls had just joined the ranks at My Little Pony World, a prestigious amusement center dedicated to all things MLP. It even rivaled Comic-Con and other known conventions and amusement attractions all across the United States.

To Jessica, it didn't seem too strange that she and her best friend had both finished college just to get jobs at an amusement center for magical ponies but the job paid well and the benefits were better than the ones at the Piggly Wiggly down the road.

For Rachel, since she was a kid she loved anything to do with the Equus ferus (wild ponies) species even as far as looking for rare types of ponies and horses along the East coast. So, the job at My Little Pony World was actually a dream for her. The real ponies that the fictional ponies were based off never actually visited Pony World but she always kept her camera ready just in case one would pop up, plus a lot of kids liked to dress up as their favorite ponies and one of Rachel's jobs at the park was to take the promotional photos. She also connected with the children that came to the park and wanted to make sure that every child achieved their own unique pony adventure. 

One day though, as Rachel was leaving for work, she had some of the janitorial talking about a pony she had always wanted to see in person; that it was seen around town. She tried to track down said pony but alas her search ended drawing a blank. After weeks of trying to find it once more and failing to do so, Rachel gave up actively searching for the famed horse. But that didn't stop her from keeping an eye out. She participated in many forums for the famed pony and tried her best to scope through the web. She even got a penpal who was convinced that the rare pony she was looking for was right in her backyard. They had agreed that they would meet up later in the year at Pony Con, which was something she was super excited about.

Later that year, Rachel and Jessica went to Pony-Con. Of course, the con was a costume required event so Rachel dressed as Roseluck and convinced Jessica to dress as Twilight Sparkle; ponies that accented their personalities. Rachel had seen so many duos of girls dressed as the two figures and thought it would be an excellent idea. Their outfits consisted of quite normal attire and crazy colored hair with accessories to match.

On the way there they jammed to the radio as they talked about Pony Con and what they were excited to see. Suddenly the music cut off and Jess leaned forward as the familiar tone signaled an important message. 

" _We interrupt this station with a special broadcast regarding the rising disappearances involving young adult women that's been sweeping across the nation. As of now, ten girls have gone missing since this past September, all similar in stature, hair color, and similar facial features, with a new addition today. A miss Addison Conelle has been reported missing in a North Carolinian town. Could Miss Conelle be among the young women who have still not been found? More news to follow at a later time. Stay safe out_ -" Rachel changed the channel.

"Hey, I was listening to that!"

"Come on Jess, I want to have a fun day. We can't do that if we're sad right?" Rachel asked with a frown.

There was no use arguing about it anyway and Jess didn't want to upset Rachel so, she just nodded and looked out the window.

Rachel flipped through the channels looking for something to listen to but Jessica was somewhat worried. She had been following the story for months and to be honest she was a little scared. No one knew how the girls were taken or what had happened to them and she didn't want anything to happen to Rachel since she was the spitting image of the missing girls.

Jess didn't know what she would do if Rachel just suddenly vanished one day. She tried to shake those thoughts from her head as they went along, on towards the convention center.

• • • • • •

**(Rachel's POV)**

The convention was flooded with all sorts of people all in various forms of costume. Rachel instantly felt at home and wondered if her MLP pen pal was there yet? She had told Jessica all about him in the car on the way to the convention center. His favorite TV show was Dance Moms and his favorite book series was Twilight and he was apparently Scottish. He seemed pretty great to Rachel, definitely someone she could call a friend. They had talked all year about Pony Con and couldn't wait to meet in person. Jessica was busy looking at some pony theme cookies when Rachel had the bright idea to slip away. 

Rachel was walking along and just happened to see some guy dressed as Doctor Whooves. Immediately, she knew she'd had to get a photo with him. As soon as they introduced themselves they both realized they were each other's, pen pals. Astonishment filled their faces as they embraced as long lost friends. They hung out for a little bit it turned out Rachel's pen pal was named Nick Jones.

While Rachel was having the time of her life Jessica on the other hand got herself into a bit of a pickle, literally. In the time that Rachel had left until the time she found her once more it had been quite a doozy for Jess.

"What happened to you?"

"Never let a Strawberry Shortcake Fanclub talk you into sitting on any type of structure that looks and smells like a hidden tank of pickle juice... ugh I smell like vinegar... Ewww. I mean seriously what are they even doing here?" Jess asked and headed towards the bathrooms. Rachel knew that Jess wouldn't be able to stand being in a pickle juice covered costume in the car for the ride home. 

Rachel just laughed at her friend's misfortune as Jessica walked away making a pouty face. She waited for her best friend to come back from the bathroom and then grabbed Jessica's hand, taking her to a booth that had friendship bracelets for sale.

"Here, I know you're covered in Pickle juice and all but I thought this would be a better way to remember Pony Con," Rachel said and picked out two bracelets. Jess smiled as they put the bracelets on. Rachel made everything better. She'd been taking care of Jess ever since they were young.

The girls smiled and ran over to the cookie stand where they bought a boatload of the sweetest cookies they had ever tasted.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

On the way home from Pony-Con, Rachel told Jessica about meeting Nick Jones.

Jessica didn't really care about the guy Rachel was talking about, but she listened anyway... anything to get her mind off the pickle juice. You see, Jessica had been taught at a young age to be wary of complete strangers but Rachel didn't seem to be fazed and kept talking and talking even when they got back home she was still babbling about the random dude she'd met at Pony-Con.

'I mean she only talked with him for 20 minutes give or take, seriously how much could they have talked about?' She thought.

With a shrug, Jessica grabbed a cup of juice from the fridge and went to wash the vinegar out of her hair. It's not like either her or Rachel would ever see that guy again so...her best friend's lil crush on a stranger wasn't as concerning to her.

**(The Next Day)**

"Rachel wake up! We have work!" Jessica said and threw a pillow at her friend.

Rachel pulled her blanket over her head and faked a snore, "Hmmm. I'm not going..."

"Um, okay why?"

"I'm sick."

"Why?" Jess egged her on. Rachel was never sick and never missed work. My Little Pony World was everything to them.

"I think it was all that talking last night..."

"Rachel do you hear yourself... you talked so much last night that your immune system just dropped? I said it out loud and even I sound crazy." Jess said as she started to pace the room.

"Crazy or not I have the sniffles so I'm not going!"

With that, Rachel disappeared back underneath her blanket and said no more.

"Just make sure all the doors are locked okay? Okay? Rach?" Jessica looked over to see a pile of blankets. "Huh, nevermind."

Jessica stomped away and towards the front door, 'Gosh, why does she have to be like that? Now I have to make up an excuse for our boss!' She thought and slammed the door to their house with a huff.


	2. Rachel's Gone

Work had been work as per usual. Jessica had been in charge of all the last-minute ticket sales so she'd been stuck in the office the whole day. Without Rachel, work had been boring and her ticket partner had less than anything to say to her. 

Just like school growing up there seemed to be cliches at the amusement park. There were the part-timers; high school kids trying to make a buck through the summer, the janitorial staff that seemed to have been there for years that always gave out candy to everyone but, customers didn't really care for it. There was Rachel and her, they'd been at the park for so long a lot of people saw them as the third category: management. 

They had a lot of low responsibility jobs but Jess figured that a lot of part-timers that looked up to them because they had been doing the gig so long they could answer a lot of questions and were easy to get along with. This brings up the fourth category of people who worked at the park. 

Occasionally the park took on a few extra full-time positions after the summer season once the high school part-timers left and for some reason, the park insisted on the same college kids every year. This particular group made fun of Rachel who as we all know now is about all things pony. The judgment placed on Rachel and even Jess herself out of association sometimes hurt Jess's feelings. She was confused a lot of the time around them because those kids also worked at the park. It boggled her mind at how mean people could be?

She and Rachel didn't always work together as their boss, Ian had quickly learned when they started working at the amusement park that all they did was gush about ponies so usually they were separated. Still, he had always let them run the ticket booth on the slower days, and it was something that Jessica had always cherished. 

After locking up her car and walking up the porch steps, Jessica felt twenty times better. She could change and get some actual food in her stomach and relax before doing it all again in the morning.

The house was silent and dark when Jessica walked through the front door. Rachel was probably still in her room. Poor girl, perhaps she truly was sick. Jessica decided then and there to make her some soup. 

"Hey Ray-Ray, you want chicken noodle or mighty beef for-" Her voice cut off after she pushed open the door to find Rachel's room empty.

Of course, all her stuff was still in the room but Rachel herself was not. Jess looked in the blankets on her bed and even underneath the mattress but she wasn't there. She checked the closet but no dice. She scanned the room to find the desk and bean bag by the window Rachel frequented to be empty. The curtains from the window blew around the frame, letting the night air in. 

Jessica immediately dialed Rachel's number as she moved through the house looking in all the rooms for her friend.

" _Hey, this is Rachel...I can't come to the phone right now so leave a message and have a magical day!_ "

Jessica tried again and again but there was no answer. Rachel was either not picking up or she didn't have her phone on her. She tried to convince herself that Rachel had just gone out and that she'd be back but Jess had a sinking feeling that something terrible had happened. All rooms in the house sat untouched, it was as if Rachel had been gone for hours.

A pang of worry settled in Jess's stomach. 

Calling the police was definitely the next step but would they actually do anything? Could they? The local PD didn't seem like they were familiar with disappearances...or kidnappings! Could that penpal of Rachel's have something to do with her not being home? 

Jessica paced the room with only one thought on her mind, 'where had Rachel gone?' 

**(The Next Morning)**

Rachel still wasn't home when Jess woke up. She had ended up back in Rachel's room in her beanbag and eventually on the floor. It hadn't been comfortable but she thought if she'd stayed in Rachel's room, the girl would show up and laugh at her friend for falling asleep on the floor. 

Then they'd get ready for the day together and even rush to the doughnut shop for a celebratory breakfast before they ran off to work. That's what they should have been doing...but Jessica got ready in their silent and empty home...a home that was starting to feel suffocating without Rachel in it. 

Everything that could've gone wrong that morning did. She slept through the alarm she set, all of her clothes were dirty so she had to break out a flannel, the shower only ran cold water (she made a mental note to check the water heater when she got home later), her toast burned and a button on her shirt popped off as soon as she was about to leave. After changing once more, into a different flannel she made her way to the door.

Jessica took a moment by the front door and tried calling Rachel again and sent her about a billion texts but there was no response from her. Jessica grabbed the doorknob with determination...it was time to go to the police.

She opened the door, locked it, and stepped down from the porch onto the sidewalk and into the road to get to the driver's side of the car when suddenly a shiny black car barreled fast down the road toward her. 

The music from the vehicle blared into her eardrums until it got about three feet from her. The music abruptly stopped and then the car stopped right where she stood. From the angle of where she stood, she couldn't make out what type of car it was that well but Jessica had to admit, it was beautiful.

The driver rolled down his window and spoke with a voice that was low and gruff. "Ma'am, excuse me-!"

"Sorry, I've got errands to run," Jessica said as she shifted her bag on her shoulder, and with one hand reached for her door handle, with the other, she dug around for her pepper spray. She was fine with helping the elderly with directions but she drew the line with younger people because it was dangerous. 

Just that thought made her think of Rachel and how she could already be- no she couldn't think like that. Jess sighed. She really needed to stop watching crime shows. 

"We'll just be a second." Came the smooth voice from the vintage car before she could protest further. "Have you seen anything strange going on around this trash heap?"

Trash heap? Jessica felt like she should take offense, after all this was her neighborhood but she guessed the guy did have a valid point. The next-door neighbors hardly ever mowed their lawn and many of the homeowners in this area had no idea what the word 'curb appeal' meant. 

It wasn't the most beautiful suburb in South Carolina but it was home, for her at least. Jessica tried to make their little home nice and cozy. She always had potted plants on the porch and made sure the paint wasn't chipping. She even mowed the grass of their small yard to keep it looking fresh and clean.

It had been a little harder recently as the grass hadn't seemed so green, literally. Also, her plants on the porch were looking a bit parched even though Jessica was watering them more than normal because it hadn't rained in a few weeks. Rachel had chalked it up to the ongoing global warming crisis and for some reason, Jessica believed her wholeheartedly as it did make sense. 

'Perhaps we should invest in a sprinkler?' Jess thought to herself as she eyed the yellowed grass at her feet.

There was also the missing disappearance case that was ongoing but that wasn't really in their area, but it felt like with every girl gone missing it was getting closer and closer to her town.

The other guy in the passenger seat hit the guy in the shoulder.

"Dean be nice, obviously this girl lives here!"

"Sammy look I've been driving for ten hours and I need a good ol' bacon cheeseburger, so let's hurry up and find this monster so we can go and get some food." He complained from inside the car.

"Sorry ma'am, we're really very sorry." The longish haired one said, 'Sammy was it?' He had an apology stricken smile on his face. 

"It's okay and my name is Jessica, not _ma'am_. Like I said, I'm busy, I have to high tail to the police station so." She said and placed a hand on her hip.

The younger moose looking one just kinda stared at her for a whole five minutes or what felt like it. Jess thought it was kind of creepy because a complete stranger was just gawking at her like a tourist. She looked at the driver and whispered. 

"Uh, is he always like that?"

Dean turned back to her, shrugged, and said, "No, it's just your name brings up some bad memories for him. Sorry to bother you but did you say police station?"

'Oh, the name must belong to his ex or something.' She concluded.

Jessica knew that feeling all too well. You dated someone and you think they're gonna be with you forever and then somehow when it all ends...anyone else that reminded you of an old flame can just put you in a state of annoyance or sadness... It depended on the relationship of course. She still couldn't talk to anyone named Steve after what happened with her last boyfriend...he was a whole different can of worms that she didn't want to revisit. She met the driver's eyes and nodded about his question but didn't further elaborate. She didn't know this guy from Adam, she wasn't gonna tell him all her business. 

She turned back to her car but then paused when she got a feeling. Something told her to trust these two guys for some reason. She also felt like the global warming business and the grass not being green had something to do with them...maybe. Perhaps they worked for the parks and recreation for her county? 

Or were they the kidnappers she'd heard about on the radio? Did she really want to talk to them again?

'It wouldn't hurt to ask.' She sighed and turned back around, placing a hand on the window frame and leaned down towards the driver.

He gave her a sideways look and she briefly wondered if they were with the police department before taking her hand off the vehicle and asked. "Sorry, but did you ask if there was anything strange going on around here?"


	3. Pie and Magicians

Jessica thought that all she'd have to do before leaving the two strange men in their vintage car was answer a question or two. Perhaps about any shady business going on around town or if anything super weird like if a tornado had touched down recently, which was kind of impossible. 

Jessica sent another text to Rachel but didn't receive anything. She was starting to really worry now and checked the time. The sooner she helped these guys, the quicker she could get to the police station.

Personally, she wasn't sure if there was any shady business going on around town. She should have directed the two of them to the police station as well, but she somehow found herself in the backseat of their car and headed towards the town diner. The driver, Dean had said something about getting a quick bite to eat and she momentarily was dismayed. She really needed to get to the local police rather quickly.

However, on the way to the diner, the man in the front passenger seat had introduced himself as Sam and told her that they were federal agents. 

After that, some of the worry Jess had disappeared. It was good that they weren't serial murders like she briefly thought but technically anyone could have the capabilities. The worry was minuscule until she saw a shotgun lying in the footwell of the backseat. She hadn't meant to find it but she had dropped her hairband and just stumbled upon it. She didn't want to mention the gun because they were agents and according to a lot of shows they sometimes needed a little extra protection so she acted like everything was fine. They should store it properly though if she was honest, anyone could find that and get hurt pretty easily.

In retrospect...she probably shouldn't have based everything she knew about law enforcement on the tv shows she and Rachel binged.

One question led to another and then another and then, of course Dean kept complaining about being hungry. Eventually, they made it to the town diner that was downtown and Jessica was an hour late for work. She had briefly texted a co-worker and said she'd be late due to family reasons but Jess had a feeling that she probably wasn't gonna make it to work any time soon if at all that day. She figured if she helped them then they could help her.

Jessica put her fork down as she finished her pie. Dean had already started on his second piece and Sam sipped on a glass of water. Jessica worked out that he didn't seem to like sweet things but that was okay with her.

"So you're saying that you work at a theme park dedicated to ponies and what's with this Comic-Con crap..?"

"My Little Pony but honestly was that the only thing you got from the whole story?"She asked with a confused expression. "And it wasn't Comic-Con..."

She sighed and tried again.

"The guy in the costume. His name was Nick Jones, at least that is what he told Rachel. I didn't meet him personally... because I was busy trying to rid my clothing of pickle juice."

"Look we're here to help-"

"Dean, I think she's only teasing," Sam said and took another bite of whatever vegan food he had ordered.

"No! No! It was actual pickle juice!" She exclaimed. "Never mind. I will spare you the details." Jessica tipped her nose in disgust. 

Sam stared at Jessica before he looked at Dean. His pie had fallen out of his mouth, back onto the plate during her admission.

"Um, okay moving on. What happened after that?"

"Well, I went home and proceeded to take multiple showers." She told them.

"Did you see Nick after that?"

Jess shook her head. "Well no. I was in the shower."

Dean made some muffled noise behind his pie and she gave him a confused look. She didn't know why they were both acting like this but it seemed like they weren't taking her seriously.

"I mean, _after_ that day." Sam clarified.

"No, I didn't. I went to work yesterday, had an overtime shift. Everything was fine until I got home last night. I figured Rach really wasn't feeling well so I was gonna make her some food but when I went to check on her she was gone. I tried to tell myself she was at the store or something but it was quite late when I got home, too late. I knew she was gone but I didn't know what to do."

"Are you sure that Rachel didn't just leave?"

"Yeah, Rachel isn't the type to do things like that. We've always been close, always vigilant. We tell each other everything. Anyway, I've tried contacting her but nothing. When she still wasn't back this morning...I knew something was wrong." She said to the agents as she wrung her fingers in her shirt. She knew she should have called the police or went to the police and now Rachel could be lying in a ditch somewhere and she had done nothing. Nothing to save her best friend.

Dean cleared his throat once more and changed the subject. "So...Rachel and Nick, they seemed like they really liked one another?"

Jessica nodded and tried to push those dark thoughts away. "Oh, Rachel. Yeah, she was totally taken by him!"

"What?" Sam exclaimed and knocked over Dean's drink. Dean sighed and flicked him in the face before throwing down a handful of napkins to clean up the spill.

"Jessica, do you have any idea where they would've gone?" Sam asked her point-blank as he sopped up the mess.

"No...I have no idea. That's why I'm telling you all this."

"But-" Dean interjected but was cut off before he could literally get a word in.

"I meant that she liked him a lot," She started in a rather blunt manner realizing they misunderstood what she had said. She saw the brothers share a look as she handed them both more napkins to clean up the mess that was slowly taking over the table. "Anyway, I'm just worried because of that open case on the radio. The one about the different girls being kidnapped. I think it looks too convenient that Nick was here and the last girl taken was a state away. I mean Rachel looks exactly like those girls that were kidnapped and they haven't been found yet. Something just doesn't sit right with me." She took a breath and then a drink from her soda.

"You think this guy might be the one abducting the young women?" Sam asked as he shared another look with Dean. 

"I'm not saying that it's Nick...I just want to make sure it's not. Rachel's convinced he's the best thing since sliced bread. They're Penpals, she said something about them talking for the past year....but something feels fishy to me," Jess looked down at her phone. "I keep texting and calling but so far there's still been no response."

"Well, there's not much to go on." Sam sighed.

"Uh, other than the serial killer lead. I think it's pretty narrowed down here."

"Sounds like this guy's off his rocker," Dean said with fries in his mouth. "Obsessed with ponies and potentially kidnapping girls." He shook his head and wiped his hands on a napkin as Sam and Jessica nodded in response.

"So um, I know I should've probably gone to the Sheriff and I was on my way when I bumped right into you two but literally nothing like this has happened around here before if this is in fact what I think it is. The last _major_ crime was a tourist running a red light and they didn't even get a ticket. Also after you introduced yourselves as feds I figured you could help me better than the local PD. So, uh would you guys be willing to at least see if anything is going on here?"

Silence enveloped the group as the agents shared a look then Sam excused himself from the table and Dean followed him a few feet away. Jessica took the silence as a slight nope and looked back down at her deconstructed pie. She didn't even have the heart to finish it with Rachel in the wind. Looked like it was going to be a trip to the Sheriff after all.

"Maybe we should give Cas a call? It's probably nothing, but what if it is?" He said in a lowered voice and watched as Jessica nibbled on her pie.

Dean perked up at the name and then frowned.

"Let's see what's what. If we have to call in the big guy then we will." Dean said rather quietly.

"You think it may be a bust?" Sam asked. It wasn't uncommon that they had a non-monster case, it just wasn't their job.

"It's looking like it, Sam-" 

A hush swept over the room as Jessica heard an odd sound, a fluttering noise like a bird flapping its wings. They all turned their heads to the empty seat beside her. Jessica's eyes immediately widened. Sat beside her was a dark-haired man and he was staring right at Dean.

"How-?" She started with even wider eyes as she looked at the man in the trench coat.

"Hello Dean, you called." A deep monotone voice filled their ears.

The stranger turned to face Jess, his blue eyes filled up her line of sight and then said hello... and that's when she blacked out, but not before a single thought entered her brain.

'Is that guy a magician?'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all hope you are enjoying the story! Thanks for the kudos and stick around for more chapters soon. Also, you can find us on Wattpad and Tumblr under the same name.  
> -TheSPNFriends


	4. Motel Shenanigans

**(Dean's POV)**

Dean saw Jessica's head about to hit her plate still filled with pie and moved to grab her but didn't make it in time. Sam's eyes widened as he saw Dean grasping for the air above the young girl's head. Luckily Cas was beside her and grabbed onto her ever so gently, laying her head away from the table and against the back wall of the booth, they were in. Dean blinked at the sight then remembered why the girl fainted in the first place.

"Really Cas?"

"Why do you always assume it's my fault when people faint?" He asked as he turned to the brothers.

"Because it usually is!" Dean said in a raised voice.

Dean and Cas had their weekly never-ending staring contest until Sam cleared his throat.

"Uh... we should probably get Jess somewhere more comfortable and then maybe talk..."

Dean glared at his brother but obliged after he took a swig of what was left of his drink.

Needless to say twenty minutes later after a few complications Jessica was now asleep soundly on one of the beds in the motel the boys were currently staying at. Dean was messing with the remote for the TV as he tried to find a decent channel, Castiel stood awkwardly in the corner and Sam had out his books about monsters looking for any connection to ponies. No one said a thing because they were manly men.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

Finally, when Jessica decided to wake up everyone else had fallen asleep, except for the dude in the trench. He was just stood in the corner. 

Jessica sat up and looked over at him. She concluded that he had to be some sort of magician.

"Woah a real Magician man." She hadn't meant to say it out loud but it was as if she couldn't stop her mouth from saying the words.

She saw the guy turn his head and shift on his feet. 'Maybe he's uncomfortable around new people.' Jess thought to herself. She watched him glance around the room then at the agents who were asleep. 

"My name is Castiel and I am no magician. I am something much more powerful."

Jessica suddenly looked down. She felt a tad embarrassed. She had no idea and had just assumed he was like any other normal person...with an affinity for some close up magic. Jessica scratched her head.

"Oh, sorry Castiel. I love your name by the way."

The man paused. "This is where I am to say thanks right?"

"Sure dude, I guess. Uh, I'm Jess." She introduced herself, sticking her hand out near his.

He only nodded...which was a strange way to say thank you but everyone was different. "Yes. I know who you are. Jessica Coleman." He said then and looked down at her hand for a moment before enveloping her hand in his.

"What are you exactly?" Jess asked. "And how do you know my name?"

"I'm an angel of the Lord," He said rather bluntly. "It's my job to know every living thing."

Jess scrambled to her feet and over to him. That was even better. She smiled and asked with wonder, "Like a real-life angel?"

"Yes."

"Cool!" She exclaimed then slapped a hand over her mouth and looked at Dean and Sam to see they were still asleep. A look of confusion settled over her face, "You don't really look like an angel though." Weren't they supposed to be translucent, like a ghost but brighter with a halo? Castiel didn't look like that. He looked like any other human.

"This is my vessel, James Novak."

"Oh, so you're possessing someone?" She asked. 'That's, different.' Jess thought as she didn't remember that from Sunday School class.

Castiel shook his head slightly, "He asked me to come into his body." 

"I thought angels could appear to people in their, uh, their-" She looked at Castiel for help.

"My true form. I can, but only some people have the ability to perceive it." Castiel explained and it clicked. 'So he took on the vessel to protect people, that's admirable.' Jess thought. Still, there was something off about the angel...there seemed to be some sort of energy around him. Maybe it was the shock of actually seeing an angel. 

"So, you're friends with Sam and Dean then?"

"Friends. I've never thought of it that way but I guess that would be correct." He said to the girl. Jessica nodded in understanding. 

"Well, I guess these agents need a good influence on their shoulders." She said as she looked over at the sleeping lumps. 

"Agents?"

"Yeah, FBI," She looked back to Castiel who had a questioning look on his face. "They aren't FBI are they?" She asked and looked back at them. The angel didn't say anything. She'd have to confirm that when they woke up later but of course deep down she knew they weren't FBI. They couldn't be with their shotguns and now an angel.

From that point on they both sat in silence. Jessica couldn't tell if it was a comfortable one or not. They continued to remain in silence until one of the brothers woke up. Jessica's brain wondered where Rachel was and if she was safe? This whole day had seemed pretty strange and quite frankly she really hoped this was some weird fever dream.

"Hey there," Sam said after he woke but Dean just kept on snoring. Jessica glanced at Sam and then gestured to the pillow on her bed. Without hesitation, he nodded as he grabbed something from under Dean's pillow. She then proceeded to pick up the pillow and throw it at Dean's face. He woke up alright and fell off his bed as he swiped the air and yelled out trying to grab at the pillow.

"Where's my gun!"

Sam laughed as he tried to talk to Cas but was ignored as the angel tried to ask Dean if he was okay and needed to be healed. Cas came at him with two fingers but Dean held his arms up in a protective stance before he ninja jumped towards the bathroom.

Sam who had moved to the small table in the motel and had been messing about with his computer charger looked at Jessica who had given Dean the oddest look.

"Don't worry he's always like that! You hungry?"

"Always, I kind of want waffles." She said as Dean came out from the bathroom. She guessed this was the best time to tell them she knew, well, not everything, but knew something was going on.

"I could go for waffles." The man smiled as he grabbed his bag.

"So, uh I know," Jess said from her place near Castiel, wringing her hands together. She felt a little nervous for some reason.

"Uh, ok?" Dean gave her an odd look like he didn't understand what she was trying to say.

"I mean, I know that you guys aren't FBI agents." Sam swiveled to face her.

"Uh, well-" Dean started and Jessica smiled. 

"It's okay. I've kind of gathered that something else is going on here," She gestured to Castiel. "Also I saw the guns and books in the car so, there's that." She said to them.

"Jess-"

"Look as long as we find Rachel I don't mind what you tell me or don't tell me. You guys came here for a reason and while I don't want to say it, I think it may be because of this Nick guy." She said and looked at all three of them. Sam and Dean quickly shared a look. It was definitely one of those looks you gave someone when you were trying to communicate something. So they were hiding something. She really didn't care, she just wanted to find Rachel.

"Jessica?"

"Yes, Castiel."

"What do you remember about Nick Jones?"

"Well I never met him, but he must have had a lot to say to Rachel because she would not stop talking about him. I could tell she liked him but really thought nothing of it. Rachel isn't really the type for relationships. We both aren't actually since we'e so busy with work so, I figured she just thought he was nice." 

"Yeah, we should probably go to your house. I thought about going there, but I didn't want to break in with you inside." Dean said.

"Okay." She nodded and grabbed her shoes. Even though they weren't actually FBI they were still gonna help her which was more than she'd get from anywhere else. They all made their way to the car when Jess asked.

"Hey, can I ride shotgun?"

Sam quickly looked over at Dean to whom Jess had just shown her puppy dog eyes.

Dean quickly nodded and a look of outrage covered Sam's face and quickly got inside the Impala.

"But... But..."

"Shut it, Sammy!" Dean said.

Jessica smiled at them and got in the Impala while Cas and Sam struggled for space in the backseat. It was laughable at best and Jess let out a giggle when Sam and Cas smacked their heads together when Dean floored the car out of the parking lot. The elder Winchester smirked and cranked up the music as they drove down the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you are enjoying the story so far! Don't forget to comment and tell us what you think. Also, thank you for waiting patiently for new parts...we know the story seems a bit slow but just stick in there!
> 
> -TheSPNFriends


	5. The Dead Garden

**(Sam's POV)**

As the Impala rumbled down the road Sam noticed that the crops didn't seem to have grown much, which was strange for South Carolina at this time of year. They'd been through this area before and it hadn't looked like this any other time.

Sam moved his attention to Jess and Dean. She had given her home address but Dean being Dean asked her some personal questions. She briefly explained her situation, mentioned her parents, and talked a bit about her time in college. She reminded Sam of himself if he was being honest.

Sam then looked over at Cas who seemed lost in thought but also trying to straighten his tie. The angel usually only stayed when something was going to go down. Sam was worried about Jessica. If this was the monster they'd been tracking they had very little time to lose. The younger Winchester then continued to look out the window until Jessica's house came into view.

Before Dean could cut the engine Jessica was already up the front steps and at the door.

"Woah, Jess wait." She turned quickly back around and squinted at Sam.

"Why, what's wrong?"

Sam climbed out of the car and said, "Wait for a second okay... we don't really know what we're dealing with yet."

Jessica nodded and he saw her tighten her fingers around the keys as Castiel finally vacated the car and still had a strange expression on his face. 

"Cas is there a reason you're staring at the sky?" Cas's face turned from the sun to look at Dean.

"Is there a reason you're not?" He asked and Dean raised his hands in the air in frustration. 

"I see you're crabby today," Dean said but Cas's only response was to roll his eyes as he walked up onto the porch.

Sam chuckled at the angel as he helped Dean grab some supplies out of the back of the Impala. They didn't know what they were up against and it was better to be prepared. 

"Maybe you should stay out here Jess, just to be safe." He called over to her as they made their way over.

"Sam, Rachel may be in there. She is my best friend... I'm going in! Plus I am the only one with a key so." Jessica said as she unlocked the door for all of them then bounced back to her place behind the boys. Sam smiled and then handed Jess a knife.

"You think you can handle that, sweetheart?" Dean asked as he looked back to her as she leaned against the banister next to Cas.

"Yeah Dean, I can manage."

• • • • • •

**(Jess' POV)**

Dean and Sam took no time as they swept the house and Castiel just kinda walked around, looking at anything and everything. Jess went straight to Rachel's room but didn't find her. She ran back towards her room where Dean was stood in front of the photos she had pinned to her wall. She glanced around the room but alas no Rachel.

"Why do you have so many photos?"

"Well, they are memories. I don't want to forget the good times. There wasn't many growing up so." He nodded and followed her to the kitchen.

"So, we got nothin'." Dean sat down at the table. There were a few bills so he picked them up. 

"Same my way," Sam said as he perched himself at the kitchen sink.

"There seems to be no indication of a kidnapping," Castiel said loudly from the living room and came through the doorway.

"Thanks, Magician Man. My best friend has probably been kidnapped and you're all acting like she went to the grocery store and will be home any second!"

"I'm not a magician. I'm an angel of the-"

"I don't really care, could you guys at least pretend you give a hoot?!" Cas blinked and a confused look met Jessica's reddened face. "I'm sorry, I'm just stressed out." It came out more of a whisper but she hoped that they hadn't taken it personally. Sam cleared his throat.

"Uh is that your garden, Jess?"

"Huh, oh yeah," She said as she glanced out at the garden to see half of it in a decayed state. "What the?" She asked and made her way outside, Sam hot on her heels. 

She crouched down to get a better look at her vegetables. "They weren't like this yesterday."

"Back when we were driving I noticed something strange. Dean, did you see the dead crops along the road?" Jess saw him look at Dean who was now standing by Cas in the frame of her backdoor.

"Well, I was kinda trying to drive. Didn't really have time to stare at oranges." Dean sneered as he flipped through Jessica and Rachel's mail, there was nothing of interest really...but he was a nosy guy.

"They're actually potatoes... if anyone's interested." Jessica said and watched the man go through her mail. She was about to say something to him when Sam caught up with them by the back door.

"I just thought it was strange considering it's the peak of the harvest season and Jessica's garden... well isn't a garden," Sam said.

"It is a garden!" She protested. She was great at gardening so she didn't know why it looked like someone had dumped acid on it.

"She could just be terrible at gardening."

_"She_ is right here ya know, like I already said it wasn't like this earlier." Jess saw Sam give her an apologetic look and continued back into the kitchen. 

"Dean."

He looked up at the sound of his name and she watched him turn towards Sam. It looked like he was trying to have a silent conversation with Dean which told Jessica that something was going on here. 

"I'm thinking we should probably do some research... unless Cas knows anything that could help?"

The three turned toward the holy tax accountant, whose head was in the fridge. Dean knocked on the fridge door and Cas straightened up to face them. 

"I don't think she's in the fridge Cas," Dean said in a sarcastic manner that seemed to be his go-to attitude.

"Well, I-" He suddenly disappeared.

"Son of a-" Dean started to say but was cut off by Jess.

"What happened? Where'd he go?" She asked.

"Who knows but he'll be back later." Dean sighed. "Hopefully." From the annoyed looks on their faces, she assumed that happened a lot with the angel. 

"So, we have two contenders. The serial case and, well, do you think it could be, Pestilence?"

"Could be...War said they were all out and about and ready to get down to business." Dean said as he watched Jessica pace back and forth. She stopped at his words.

"Pestilence...what does that have to do with Rachel disappearing?"

"We're not sure...and it's not a what....it's a who."

Another confused expression etched itself onto Jessica's face. She of course had no idea what he was talking about but the boys seemed to know what they doing. Sam put a hand on her shoulder as a comfort and said, "It might not be safe for you to stay here, maybe you should come back to the motel for the night. Go pack a bag...alright."

Jess nodded and darted out of the kitchen and down the hall towards her room. She didn't understand what they were talking about but she did recognize that word. Pestilence. She hadn't heard it in a long time, not since she was a kid sitting in Sunday school. Jess thought as she shoveled a bunch of clothes and toiletries into an old duffle bag and grabbed her laptop, if they had to research then she may as well be helpful. 

She jumped up from the floor after shoving some extra shoes into her bag and then made for the door, the polaroids that hung on the wall made her stop for only a second.

There was no reason to bring them...She and Rachel would be back in a day or so...no reason to worry or call the landlord about anything. She nodded her head along to her own thoughts and grabbed a few books just in case she would be stuck in the car for a while. 

Something told Jess that Dean and Sam weren't big on reading anything that didn't have to do with news or history. She briefly remembered Sam going on and on about potential supernatural creatures in the area while they were in the car. In all honesty, she hadn't really understood what he had said as all this was quite strange. Jess had thought it was odd that they thought some monster was involved with this Nick guy? She only hoped that if Nick was involved with some witchy spells or something...they'd be able to save Rachel before he tried to brainwash her or something. 

She was sure there was a better explanation for Rachel's supposed kidnapping. There wasn't much to go on other than Rachel not being at the house and also not answering her phone but she knew in her heart that Rachel wouldn't leave her in the dark like that. They had been family for so long and it was a rule of theirs to never leave each other hanging even if they weren't talking. 

'She's fine...she's gonna be fine.' She repeated in her head as she gathered her things and ran out of the house after locking it up and headed towards the Impala. This time she decided to throw her duffle in the back and let Sam have shotgun once again.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," She said and accidentally kicked over some books that she had previously moved from the seat onto the floorboard.

'Ha! I was right' she thought when she saw some book called, 'Interpretative Lore of Natural Disasters."

Dean put the car in drive and they started down the road...to find Rachel. Jessica was a bit nervous but determined to find her friend.

And so, the hunt began.

"Wait!" Jess screamed sending Dean slamming on the breaks, Sam almost smacked his head on the dashboard from the abruptness of the car stopping, as it impeded them from going forward.

"What? What's wrong?" The younger brother asked in a worried tone, looking out the windows and all around him.

"Can I get my phone charger?" Jess asked with a sympathetic grimace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As far as we know, 'Interpretative Lore of Natural Disasters' isn't an actual book but a made-up title, obviously made up for our own purposes.
> 
> -TheSPNFriends


	6. Monsters Are Real

**(Two Days Ago- Rachel's POV)  
**

As soon as Jessica left the house for work, Rachel threw back the covers hiding her. Of course, she hadn't wanted to lie to her best friend but Rachel knew that Jessica just wouldn't understand, not about this at least. Rachel crossed the room for her window to let the nice summer breeze in and sighed in contentment. 

She knew Jessica would try to convince her not to meet with Nick and give up the search but she couldn't, she had to see it through. Rachel knew that Jessica didn't care for Nick as she didn't like most guys but given her past, Rachel understood why. After she had a bowl of lucky charms, MLP edition, she was almost ready to meet up with Nick. He said he would get her around eight so she busied herself by brushing her hair again and waiting for him. 

Maybe she should leave a note for Jess, it wouldn't hurt. She grabbed for a sticky note when she heard a knock on the window frame. She twirled around to see Nick's face peeking through her curtains.

"Hey, Rachel... Ready to go?" Nick asked with a goofy smile on his face.

"Yeah," She laughed at the boy, "uh Nick why are you at my window. I have a front door." She gestured behind her.

"Uh, I thought it was cooler this way." He said and shrugged.

"Okay then you goofball, where are we headed?" Rachel said as she grabbed her camera and her bag.

"Just a place I know."

Rachel followed Nick blindly out the window and off they went.

• • • • • • ** _  
_**

**(Present Day- Jess's POV)  
**

"So get this!"

Jessica rolled around on one of the beds to look at Sam who was sat back at the little motel table hunched over his computer. It looked as if he were sitting at a child's play table because he was so tall and it almost made her laugh. Dean had made some excuse and then left but Jess got the feeling that he didn't like research as much as Sam did.

"What is it?" She had been stuffing her face with a bag of chips worrying about Rachel ever since they got back to the motel and couldn't do much else.

"Uh, I was looking online for an explanation on all the crop failures..."

"Well, that's because it hasn't rained in like months! Which is strange because it's spring and it always rains here in the spring... I've always liked the rain so, I've found it quite annoying actually."

Sam nodded and looked back at his laptop before continuing.

"Yeah, also I've been comparing that to anything in the lore in relation to horses."

"Horses?" Jessica asked scrunching up her nose in confusion, "You think that Rachel's obsession with My Little Pony is connected to her disappearance?"

"Well, you did say this Jones guy was dressed as a pony."

"Yeah, but he was cosplaying as Doctor Whooves. Rachel was Roseluck; it parodies Doctor Who. It was just for fun so what does that have to do with her kidnapping? They _are_ just fictional ponies."

"We have to cover all our options even if it sounds strange. You'd be surprised at how many times we've hunted strange creatures."

"Like what?" Jess asked.

"Well...all kinds of things...witches, werewolves, ghosts...creepy backwoods monsters that...um you know what? That's a story for another time. I know it's a lot to take in but monsters are real, and, well, Dean and I stop them." He mumbled near the end.

" _Right_ , of course." She said in disbelief.

"I mean, you've met Cas, so," Sam said with a shrug.

"Yeah but I went to church as a kid, believing that is easier than things that go bump in the night," Jess said as she sat down beside Sam at the table. "But come to think of it, there was this one time, a few years ago, right as Rachel and I were graduating college one of our professors was possessed by something nasty...almost died too if it hadn't had been for this rando guy that showed up." 

"So you've met other hunters before then? What was his name?"

"Hunters?" She asked and Sam nodded at her. "I didn't get to meet him but Rachel said he went on and on about this gate to hell that had been opened and that Dr. Livingstone, our French professor wasn't actually our professor. It was pretty scary but she told me he saved him so, I guess that's all that matters. Rachel never said his name."

"Oh so this was after...sorry I just, uh nevermind," Sam said with a hint of sadness in his voice. Jess could see the metaphorical cogs running through his eyes and she wondered if Sam knew the hunter she had spoken about?

Jessica watched him for a moment, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah uh-"

"Sam?" Jess asked. She knew there was a story there somewhere. He cleared his throat and continued on.

"Anyway, I think the pony con thing may have a connection." He said opting to shut her out which was fine...they didn't owe her anything. She had just met them, didn't seem like the best time for a heart to heart. 

She took a breath and continued to hypothesize with him. "Okay, just theorizing here but what if it was all a rouse. They met online, that has to be how he gets to know and charm his intended victims."

"You could be right." Sam said and started to pace the room. A lightbulb turned on in Jessica's head. 

"Rachel wouldn't stop talking about how charming he was and kept gushing over everything he said and did... maybe that's why she went with him. Do you think he could've coerced her into coming with him?"

"What like hypnosis?" Sam asked as he moved to the window to peer outside. Jessica watched Sam watch the horizon slowly sinking past the tree line. Rachel had been missing for a whole two days now. 

"What if Rachel just followed him willingly? If he promised her anything that she wanted then..." Sam trailed off and turned around with a grimace. She didn't want to think of the idea but the inner detective in Jessica knew it could be a possibility as it usually was the case in these instances.

"So you think Nick didn't kidnap her, she... went with him on her own?" Jessica asked with a hint of disgust in her voice as it all started to come together and make some sense. Not answering her phone was the give away there as much as Jessica didn't want to believe it. Sam nodded and Jess stood up from the table and paced the room with him.

"If she went with him, she doesn't realize that he could be dangerous. She thinks he's just a guy who loves the ponies but in reality, he could be the serial kidnapper I've been listening about on the news." She said aloud but the words were mostly for her to wrap her head around it all. It was idiotic to think this was happening but Jess knew if something bad was going to happen, of course, it would happen to her. 

Jess made her way back to the table and sat her bag of chips down, not hungry anymore as they stared at Sam's computer, "But what about the horseman Pestilence? Where does he come into all of this?" Jess asked. They had filled her on basically the apocalypse as they've driven back to the motel earlier so she was caught up on it. She hadn't really known what was going on in the world and didn't understand how she could've missed it. Like the apocalypse. It was crazy. Of course, there were natural disasters, murders, and the like every day but Jess just figured it was the way the world was.

"See that's what we have to figure out...could you pass me that Bible?" He asked and pointed toward the bedside table. Time for even more research, Jess thought.

• • • • • •

**(Nick's POV)**

"Rise and Shine!" Nick enunciated through the motel door. He had previously seen the other girl, Jessica at the diner with two men who had been around telling everyone they were FBI agents. Nick knew better...he could smell hunters from a mile away. He wasn't scared of two good for nothing numbskulls getting in his way. He already had Rachel and he was well on his way to making his dreams come true, this time.

"Nick, what time is it?" Rachel questioned with a groggy voice when she finally opened the door. Nick could tell she had just woken up.

"Time to get going silly we're almost to the place I saw them." He said as he leaned against the doorframe. He had to keep baiting the girl into coming with him, it was the only way his plans would actually work.

"Are you sure the horses are gonna be there? I mean American Cream horses are super rare!" She said as she pulled on her shoes and grabbed her bag. 

He could feel her reluctance and sure he felt kind of bad he was lying about the horses but he had plans, plans he couldn't just throw away. He wouldn't let anything stand in his way. Not those hunters or that girl or even Rachel from taking what he wanted.

"Rachel you trust me right?" The girl in question shuffled her feet but she sheepishly smiled and nodded.

"Sure, Nick."

"Great then let's go!" Nick said as a flood of relief washed over him. For some reason Rachel was much more understanding than the others and didn't question everything he said and did, maybe it would work this time. Maybe Rachel would be the one for him.


	7. The Hunt Continues

**(Dean's POV)**

Dean walked through the motel door with dinner in hand just as Jessica started jumping around and attempting to high-five Sam, but it looked like it didn't quite work. That's what he guessed anyway as he watched Sam stagger back from the tiny girl. Sam hadn't looked like he was expecting it when she decked him in the face. 

Dean failed to hide the grin on his face.

"Sorry, Sam," Jessica said with a grimace on her face as she scratched the back of her neck. The elder Winchester was taken aback and honestly tried his very hardest not to laugh. It looked like Jessica could hold her own.

"Do I wanna know?" He asked as he shut the door, both turned to him and Jess shook her head at him.

She moved over to him and Dean flinched and sat the food down. He wondered if he was gonna be slapped as well. Nothing happened so he started dishing out respective foods to everyone.

Dean wasn't scared of the young woman but even he knew not to get on the bad side of any lady least he be met with full force. Something about Jessica reminded the hunter of Jo Harvelle...excitable and determined to help.

Sam instantly started chewing on his salad while holding an ice pack on the portion of his face where Jessica had hit him. 'Must've been a harder hit than it looked.' Dean thought as he opened the wrapper on his sandwich. Jessica took a drink of her cola and said.

"Sam figured it out."

"What did he-," Jess interrupted him by shoving a handful of fries at his face.

"Dean if you're going to keep talking then I can't tell you what's going on." she huffed.

"Yeah Dean, listen to her before she hits you and we both have bruises because of her," Sam complained between a mouth full of salad. Jess sheepishly apologized again and looked to both of them from her seat.

"So anyway, both of us ran into multiple dead ends after searching for a while. There was literally nothing on the internet which was a little disheartening. Originally he started looking into Pestilence but nothing was turning up so Sam thought it may've had something to do with zombies, hence the dead vegetation, but it was a bust. After a while, Sam and I found a mediocre website about 'equine' monsters. I didn't even know that was a thing but the internet is a crazy place and-"

"Anyway." Dean interrupted trying to lead the girl back on track.

"Right anyway, turns out this guy _Doug_ has devoted his life to studying the supernatural." Jess finished as she took a bite of her sandwich. Sam sat his water bottle down before adding onto this spiel.

"I didn't want to call Bobby because he and Rufus are busy doing that job in Seattle. So, I'm thinking this guy Doug could be our ticket to finding Rachel." Sam filled in his brother and Dean nodded, throwing his napkin down after wiping his mouth.

He had spoken to Bobby yesterday...the case they should have taken instead of this one had everything to do with the oncoming apocalypse and as much as Dean wanted to pack up and head west; he couldn't just leave without trying to help Jessica find her friend.

It was his job after all.

"So who wants to meet Doug?"

• • • • • • ** _  
_**

**(Rachel's POV)**

The sun was still shining but there was a chill in the air. Rachel thought this was odd for the time of the year because it was basically summer. Nonetheless here she was, in a cozy sweater, trying to keep the air off of her. Global warming definitely had to do with all the sudden coldness which in itself was unpredictable but Rachel guessed it was the new normal and she would just have to deal with it. One day it was eighty degrees and the next day a cold updraft could sweep through town and right into her bones. 

She pushed thoughts like that away and tried to focus on the good things in her life. Her wonderful little home, her best friend/sister Jess, and Nick. She smiled at the thought of the young man. Nick was a dream. He was honest and kind and very handsome. And he loved horses.

She had really grown to like Nick over the year they had communicated with each other and she could see them maybe even being together. They knew everything about each other and had a crazy amount of stuff in common with each other. She didn't want to look too much into it though because she really hadn't had the best track record with guys, well to be honest she actually she hadn't had a track record at all. During high school, she had the lowest running score in track... but that was because she wasn't the best at running.

Rachel focused on her studies and throughout her college life she liked guys but she never took the next step and went on dates so, she stayed friends with all the guys she met. She went on one blind date once after graduating and while it wasn't bad, Rachel wanted to meet someone in a natural setting kind of like a Disney film. She was a sucker for a romantic gesture and Nick was fulfilling her checklist so far. It was like she was living in a fairytale.

She was just glad to be out in the warm sunshine and fresh air even if it meant skipping work and lying to Jessica. She was sure that Jessica would understand because that's how Jess was. She always gave second and even third chances and she always saw the best in people. Rachel was lucky to have such a great best friend and besides it wasn't like she was going to die or whatever. She was just at the beach with Nick and she trusted him with her life. What was the worst that could possibly happen?

Rachel just really wanted to see this famed horse. It had been her dream for years now and after Nick had told her about seeing them she wasn't going to let anything get in her way. Words of wisdom from some dude came to her head then 'don't let your dreams be dreams'. This could be her only chance and she had to take it, besides she knew Nick would take care of her.

"I can't believe we get to go to the beach and see this horse! I mean I know it's just a horse but..." Rachel said gesturing with her hands excitedly. 

She knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and still felt bad that she didn't tell Jess or anyone else but she pushed those thoughts aside and took some pictures with her camera. She of course had to document every part of this trip so she could remember it and show Jessica when she got home.

"No, I totally get it," He stopped and took her hand in his and then continued to walk along, "I'm sure there are reasons to doubt what I've said but you've stuck by me, Rachel. It's hard to find someone that you have so much in common with and that brings so much joy to my life. You bring me so much joy...and happiness, I just want to thank you." He told her, making Rachel blush at his words. 

Never had a boy talked to her this way and she was very flustered but she enjoyed the doting from him. Nick wasn't like other guys and Rachel was so happy to find someone like him.

"Well, you're welcome, Nick and I don't think you'd lie to me." Nick smiled and brushed a stray hair back behind Rachel's ear.

"I know we just met in real life, Rach, but I feel like we really understand each other." Rachel's heart fluttered. She couldn't believe any of this.

"I feel the same way, Nick." Rachel was so lost in his sea-green eyes she didn't see the maniacal smile slowly creep across his face. Nick turned from her swiftly and remarked about the weather. 

Rachel didn't hear him at all though because she almost fell flat on her face. She gave a slight cough and pretended that she hadn't almost just tripped over her own shoes and smiled. She was glad he hadn't seen her almost wipe out as she blamed her clumsiness and continued after Nick.

"Come on, we should probably get to the beach." He called and Rachel yet again followed Nick, unaware of the trail of decayed vegetation he left behind them.


	8. The Truth of it All

**(Jess's POV)**

Doug Pritchard lived only twenty minutes outside the city of Columbia, South Carolina. Dean and Sam told Jess to stay in the car while they 'questioned' Doug.

"I don't understand why I can't come in," Jess said as she watched Dean walk around to the trunk of the Impala.

"Jess we don't know this guy. We want you to stay safe and out of harms way. So, stay here please." Sam said from the front seat. Jess sighed but leaned back in her seat. She knew they were just trying to look out for her.

"Are these monkey suits really necessary?" Dean asked as he remerged from the boot of the car and checked his gun once more.

"Sadly they are."

"I think you both look handsome." Jess smiled at them. Dean's eyes seemed to sparkle but Sam saw through it.

"Nice try. You're still staying here." Sam said as he exited the vehicle and Jess gave a pout. 'It was worth a shot anyway.' Jess thought as she saw them climb the steps to the old house they were parked in front of. 

Since Sam and Dean were going in to see Doug, Jessica was left in the car and she frowned as she forgot to ask them for the keys so she could listen to some tunes. She didn't want her phone to die just in case Rachel called so, it looked like she'd be spending her time in silence. It was only ironic that Castiel decided now was a good time to show back up. One minute Jess was humming to herself and then the next thing she knew she was staring at Cas.

"Cas!"

"Jessica, it is good to see you."

"Right back at ya, Mr. Magician." She said with a laugh in her voice. The nickname was starting to stick it seemed.

They sat in silence until Jessica blurted out what he's missed...for obvious reasons she left out the part out where she hit Sam in the face.

"I think I've heard of a similar problem once. A long time ago in Scotland." Jessica's eyes lit up.

"Really? I'll have to tell Sam, could be a potential lead. Thanks."

The angel smiled and looked out the window and the car fell into a comfortable silence. He was probably thinking hard about something, maybe it had to do with why he left earlier.

"So, Dean said you just disappear sometimes." She said to him which he nodded to.

"On occasion, it does happen."

"So, where did you go," She asked and then blinked. "I'm sorry that's rude." She said with a frown.

"No that is okay. Ever since I saved Dean, the other angels have been after me. I can't stay around the Winchesters for long because my former superiors are fascinated with them." Jess looked to Cas with a confused look.

"They have the same last name?" She asked the angel as Cas blinked. 

"Sam and Dean are brothers. I see they didn't mention that." Jess thought it was odd they hadn't told her that but maybe as they were trying to track down Rachel it had just slipped their minds. Jess laughed. Sam and Dean looked nothing alike so she never would've guessed, she had just assumed they were really close...like best friends.

The car was silent once more. Cas was nice and Jessica found herself liking the angel quite a bit. He was not what she had expected but she really didn't know what to expect honestly.

Jess leaned back against the seat. The past couple days had been so busy she was content just sitting here. Jessica started humming again, some tune her mother used to hum when she was a child. She hadn't thought about her mom in a while. 

'Maybe after all this, Rachel and I could visit her...bring some nice flowers...'

About fifteen minutes later, the boys came strolling back to the car with a stack of books. Jess waited until they are at least a minute down the road before she aired her questions.

"So what did Doug have to say?" Dean rolled his eyes as he flipped through the radio stations, looking for something. Neither of the boys had acknowledged Castiel's presence in the backseat. Jess leaned up and grabbed one of the books piled on the front seat.

"A lot. We may have to look more up in the lore but Doug was really helpful. He says we may be dealing with a Nuckelavee." Jessica grimaced at the word. Whatever that was didn't sound too great.

"They are native to Scotland." The gruff voice of the angel spoke up. Dean jumped and Sam glanced in the rearview mirror.

"How did you... Cas? When did you get here?" Sam asked.

"I've been on Earth for a while now... I thought you knew that?" He asked with confusion covering his face.

"No Cas. Sam meant in the car. When did you appear in the car?" Dean asked with an annoyed expression.

"Shortly before you two went inside the residence of Doug Pritchard."

"Well, thanks for showing up." The words seemed lost to Cas though as he leaned forward to look at Sam.

"Sam, how did you get the bruise on your face?" .

"Um, it's nothing," Sam said while looking at Jess through the rearview. Cas turned inquisitively toward Jessica, tilting his head to the side and squinted his eyes.

"Did you hit Sam? Why? What did he do?"

"How did you-wait a second, can you read minds?" She asked and looked at Sam and Dean to confirm but it looked like they were confused for some reason. 

"I do have the ability yes." He said and her eyes bugged out. Cas reached out and touched Sam's forehead. Jessica watched in awe as the bruise miraculously disappeared from Sam's face.

"Woah." She whispered in amazement.

"Thanks, Cas."

"You're welcome, Sam," Cas then turned to look at Jessica, "and Jessica try not to hit anyone again." A sheepish smile skirted across Jessica's face as she nodded her head. Cas then proceeded to look back out the window. Jess felt like a child getting scolded and decided to change the subject.

"Do you think we'll figure this out, and save Rachel in time?" She asked anyone.

"We'll do our best, I promise," Dean said as he looked at the girl in the backseat of the beloved car. 

Jess sighed, while these guys were great she just wanted everything to be normal again. She should have been at her job watching young children ride various pony themed rides to their heart's content. Instead, she was here looking for Rachel and her kidnapper. She didn't want to think about not finding Rachel, but every day that went by their chances got lower and lower of finding her.

• • • • • •

**(Dean's POV)**

A few hours later, Jessica had fallen asleep and Castiel had left saying that he would scout ahead but Dean wasn't sure what the angel was up to. He had told him he'd be back when they needed him. The music was turned down as the impala traveled on down the road. 

Sam looked over his shoulder at Jess before looking at his brother.

"So he was right," Dean said from the driver's seat. He wasn't looking at Sam and he hadn't mentioned any names but Sam knew who he was talking about. They came to stop at a red light. He didn't want Jess to get sucked into this life of theirs but every day they didn't find Rachel it could become more of a possibility. He didn't want her to lose her only family.

"Had a feeling we were walking into some trap or another mystery spot situation but Gabriel was really just trying to help," Sam said.

"Let's get out of this first before you praise that clown," Dean told his brother as he gunned the engine and rambled on down the road...after the light turned green of course. He didn't really trust that wayward angel but, it seemed as if he had sent them a solid lead which was something. The little town definitely had something going on in it, that was for sure.

Dean saw Sam get more comfortable in his seat as he grabbed the map out of the glove compartment, opening it up and scanning the page while saying, "Obviously there is a reason he left that _note_ for us...all this does feel a bit odd but now we're here. Could she be the one Gabe was talking about?"

"Who knows man...let's just help her alright...and as for this prophecy that may or not be true..." Dean trailed off as they pulled into the motel.

"We'll figure the rest out later?" Sam asked.

"We'll figure the rest out later." Dean echoed.


	9. Research and Guns

**(Jess's POV)**

Jess and Dean thumbed through the books Doug had given them as Sam typed away on his laptop, searching for anything on Nuckelavees which they thought was their closest lead so far. Cas was sitting in a chair sharing anything that came to mind about the monster. Jessica was just about to give up when something caught her eye.

"Hey, I think I got something! Says here that... 'The only entity able to control the Nucklevee or horse-like demon is the Mither o' the Sea, an ancient spirit in Orcadian mythology who can confine the Nucklevee during the summer months.' That's really strange."

"Did you say Mither?"

"Yeah, the Mither o' the Sea. The Nucklevee attacked Scotland long ago because the Islanders were using seaweed to make glass." The angel stated suddenly from his chair as the information came to the front of his mind.

"When did it attack?" Jess asked Cas who only shrugged...he didn't in fact have all the answers. She guessed any information at all helped though. Did that possibly mean that the mither had sent Nick to do her dirty work and Rachel was just being mixed up in it all. 

Sam quickly looked up the Mither o' the Sea.

"Summer... That's odd. Summer starts tomorrow because of the solstice. Why would he have to take Rachel with him?" Sam asked himself as he read through the website.

"What are you mumbling about?" Dean asked.

"So get this," Sam said glancing at the trio before looking back at his laptop, "Mither is Celtic for Mother... I'm guessing like all the other water spirits and demonic forces under the ocean, this Nuckelavee is right up there with them."

"Okay, so what does that have to do with Rachel?"

"Well, it looks like uh the Nucklevee's have to sacrifice a certain type of person. They have special souls." He continued and Jessica's blood ran cold. Not only had Rachel been kidnapped but if they were right she might die as well.

"Like...they're pure?" Dean asked and Sam nodded. 

"Looks like." 

"So we think Nick is the guy that's been going around the United States killing innocent girls. Does the website say why he needs a pure soul?" Sam went back to the computer and Jess moved from her seat to lean over Sam's shoulder to read the website as well.

"Apparently, pure souls can open up portals to other dimensions."

"What?" Jessica asked. Opening up portals to other dimensions didn't seem to be exactly okay, in fact, Castiel was saying as such.

"If the Nuckelavee were to open a transdimensional portal, this world might cease to exist. That would be very bad."

"So, how do we stop him then?" Dean asked.

"The Mither, she is the only one who can defeat him," Cas stated offhandedly. "She has enough power to confine him."

"So we have to find this Mither then?" Jess asked. 

"You wouldn't find her if you tried, there are too many demons in the sea," Cas answered. All the hope drained from Jessica's chest. What could they do now? There wasn't any way to save Rachel and they were running out of time.

"There are demons in the water?" She asked and Dean rolled his eyes at her question.

"There are demons everywhere, sweetheart," Dean said. Before she could say anything further Sam piped up from the computer screen in front of him.

"It says here, according to local legend if a Nuckelavee is splashed with freshwater it can be briefly distracted. In dire circumstances, this would allow the townspeople to run away to safety..."

"There's no way I'm letting this guy get my friend. You know what that means." The brothers and their angel turned to look at Jess as she laced up her sneakers.

"What?" Dean questioned

"We're gonna need some water guns!" She said with a bright smile.

• • • • • •

**(Rachel's POV)**

"Nick, I'm not seeing any horses." Rachel said as she looked around.

"C'mon Rachel. They've gotta be around here somewhere."

"Maybe we should look by the dunes down there. Most horses frequent them to keep away from the wind and flying sand." Rachel said as she looked out towards the water. If it wasn't so windy she'd love to go for a swim.

"Alright let's go." Nick agreed and pulled her along.

The waves relentlessly crashed against the beach as the two walked along. Rachel had abandoned her shoes back somewhere close to the car and was trying to run away from the chilly water with a smile on her face.

"How many days until summer?"

"Uh... tomorrow I think... is the 21st. My friend, Jessica, she's always going on about all that cosmic stuff. Why? What's wrong?" Nick frowned and took Rachel's hand again. Rachel laid her head against his salty smelling shoulder. It was nice to not be alone.

"I have to leave tomorrow." Rachel's smile instantly disappeared.

"What? Why?" Nick looked out over the waves and off into the distance.

"I made a deal with my mum... that I'd come home for the summer... I don't want to, not now that I've met you, but she _is_ my mum" Rachel smiled again and swung their hands.

"Well then call your mom and tell her you've got plans." Nick turned toward the girl and frowned at her.

"It's not that simple, Rach. I promised... at first, I was gonna find a way... to end it all, then I ran into you. I thought you could help me. But I see now you're just you. You're innocent in all this. I can't... I don't want to hurt you, Rachel, these feelings I have for you are something I've never felt before."

"Nick, what's going on? Are you in some kind of trouble?" She asked with a worried expression. He seemed concerned for her. Was Nick in a gang perhaps? Maybe that's why he had seemed secretive all day. Rachel had been playing it off as nerves but something didn't sound right.

"No Rachel, nothing like that." Rachel removed her head from his shoulder and looked at him. Nick had a queasy look on his face. 

"Then what?" Instead of answering her question, Nick put two fingers under her chin gently, lifting her eyes to his. She somehow couldn't read him now since he was so close, but she thought he was going to kiss her. 

• • • • • •

"Why do you get the blue one?" Dean complained waving his neon purple water pistol around with one hand and steering the Impala with his other as they were headed towards the closest body of freshwater.

Sam had concluded that Nick had to be taking Rachel to the beach so they had to high tail it to find freshwater. Nothing in the lore suggested that Nuckelavee would immediately kill her and they didn't have long before the window closed to save Rachel. Jessica and Sam had found out that to receive more power the Nuckleavee had to sacrifice pure virgins and Rachel fit the bill.

"Dean now is not really the time to be complaining about water guns." Dean stuck his tongue out at Sam and sat his gun on the dashboard of the Impala. Jess smiled at the brothers. It reminded her of the banter Rachel and herself shared with each other. 

"You guys act like toddlers you know that?" Both of the brothers rolled their eyes at Jessica's remark.

"I still don't understand why we need these...water guns," Cas said eyeing the green one in his lap.

"Just trust us Cas, you're gonna be happy you have it," Dean said as he watched Jessica recheck her hot pink water pistol. Jess was nervous, these things didn't seem to hold a lot of water so they'd have to be quick. She looked over at the angel, maybe he could teleport them once they found out where Rachel was. 

"How am I supposed to defend myself?" The angel asked as if he didn't know how to.

"Just point and shoot. It's like a camera." Dean said with a smirk on his face as he turned onto an old county road.

"We're here," Sam exclaimed.


	10. The End of the Beginning

**(Nick's Pov)**

Later Rachel and Nick reached the dunes but she couldn't see any horses nearby. 

"Hmm, that's odd." Rachel said aloud as she continued to scan the area.

Nick looked at the beautiful girl and felt so much guilt. He had to confess, it was the only way forward now. If Rachel really was the one, then she had to understand."Rachel."

She turned to him with a smile on her face, one that could rival the sun. He took a breath.

"I'm sorry but I lied to you. There are no horses. I couldn't think of any other way to get you here." Rachel's hand fell from Nick's and she took a step back. Nick followed trying to reach for her hand but she continued to retreat. 

"What?" Rachel couldn't believe her ears. 

"Rachel please listen. I never wanted to hurt you. I've finally found the perfect person for me. Sure I took you on an impulse but I love you. I just need you to understand."

"Do you say that to all the girls you kidnap?" Nick's eyes shot up to hers.

"No, Rachel, I didn't kidnap you. I had... I wanted..." Rachel rolled her eyes and tried to walk away from him but Nick grabbed her hand in his. She stopped and then looked over her shoulder at him. "I didn't kidnap you. I just lied and took you to the ocean. I know how it looks, but you...your not like the others. You're like me. You want to belong."

"Others? How many people have you been with? You know what, I don't want to know. You said you cared...that you loved me but it was just a lie, wasn't it?! How could I be so stupid to think- It doesn't matter now. I'm leaving." Rachel turned away from him once more shrugging out of his hold.

Nick grabbed for her again, this time around her waist to get a better grip. He swung her around."Rachel..." He said as his voice changed.

Rachel's heart started to hammer as she tried to yank herself away but Nick's hold on her was the equivalent of being trapped against a steel beam, anchored into the ground. "We Belong Together!"

Rachel thrashed against him and starting yelling but no one was there to hear her. They were all alone.

"I don't want to hurt you, but if you won't come with me, then I'll have no choice." Nick picked her up and flung her over his shoulder and started to walk down the beach. 

• • • • • • 

"If he comes after you, just run okay. We've never faced this kind of creature before." Sam eyed Jess from the front seat as Dean pulled the Impala next to an old truck. Finding the freshwater hadn't been a problem but Dean still broke the speed limit to get them to the beach as quickly as possible.

"Okay."

"And watch your back. We don't know if he's working alone." Dean added.

"Okay."

"Remember, we're only holding him off long enough for the sea mother to get here," Cas said as they cautiously walked on the sand. Sam pointed to some footprints. 

"Okay guys, I get it." Silence encompassed the four of them while they followed footprints in the sand. Jessica glanced around looking for her friend and not paying attention to her surroundings when she tripped over something... basically nothing... and fell headfirst into Dean, causing him to fall into Sam, who fell into Cas, who stopped short, making them all fall into the sand.

The three all quickly glanced up trying to see what Jessica was looking at. They were all covered in sand.

"You guys have some sand in your hair." Sam looked over at Dean and laughed as well. The older brother threw some sand in his general direction but Sam moved out of the way just in time to see Cas get hit in the face. The look on the warrior of the Lord's face was less than pleasant.

"Okay, enough you toddlers. Let's go find Rachel!" Jessica grabbed Cas's arm and helped him up and they continued forward leaving the brothers to themselves.

"It's all over me! I hate sand, and she called me a toddler again, Sammy!" Sam pulled his brother from the ground wiping off his jacket before taking off after the other two.

"Well, being called a toddler is fitting, seeing as you act like one."

When the brothers caught up to Cas and Jess, they both heard the tail end of a conversation.

"...I'd love that you know. Just being able to be free and live in peace...no one to bother you. No one to tell you to have to do this or pay this bill or judge you on any account...yeah Cas...yeah that'd be pretty nice." Jess said and Dean nodded right along with her.

"Cas is there any way you could sense Rachel or even the Nuckelavee?" Jess asked and Cas stopped walking and closed his eyes. 

"They're here. Not far from us. This way." He said and they all started forward again. After about ten minutes of walking a yell could be heard in the distance. Jessica ran off, closer to the sound, and to a figure in the distance, Rachel. She fell into the sand grabbing her friend in a hug but Rachel immediately pushed her away.

"Jess, you have to run. He's gonna catch up to us soon. He'll hurt you." Sam leaned down towards Rachel to help her up, but the girl flinched back into Jessica's arms away from the tall man.

"Ray-Ray this is Sam. That's Dean and Cas. They're good people. They're gonna get you away from Nick, but we gotta go now before he gets back okay?"

"Well, you're too late for that." All five of them turned toward the voice. Nick's face looked distorted kind of like a horse. The gang pulled out their water guns. They looked ridiculous but... yeah there's nothing that could make them look less ridiculous.

They shot at him with freshwater keeping Nick away from Rachel. Nick in turn sent wave after wave of saltwater at them. This gave Jessica enough time to get Rachel away from him and push her towards the car.

"No one said he had sea powers," Dean yelled.

"Where's the Mither?" Sam asked and they all looked around. 

"It's risky, but I can get her to come out of hiding. I'll have to leave directly after." Cas said and looked at them.

"Do it!" Dean yelled as they threw the water guns aside, empty. Dean pulled out his gun and fired a few rounds which made Nick angrier. He grabbed Dean by the shirt collar and threw him into the ocean.

"You okay Rach?"

"Yeah Jess, just get me outta here." She said and they made a break for it.

Sam yelled for Jess to run as Nick sauntered toward her and Rachel.

"What do you think we're doing?" She yelled back. Sam lunged at Nick, but before he could reach him Sam flew back landing some fifteen feet away.

Castiel started to show his heavenly form and the wind started to pick up. The sea roared and Jess had to turn away from Cas for it was too bright for her eyes. She turned her head to the ocean to see a large figure covered in water. 

"Come on Rach, we're almost to the car." All of a sudden Rachel's grip loosened from Jessica's. 

"What if I talk to him? What if I can make him see sense?" Jessica turned around facing away from the Nucklevee.

"Rach, that's not Nick. It lied to you, Okay! That's a monster. We gotta run. Now!" Cas's light faded, which caused Jess to look up but he was nowhere to be found.  
  
Rachel's eyes flashed in alarm. Jessica spun around before being flung in the air and meeting the sandy ground. The wind was knocked out of her body. She looked up to see Nick holding Rachel off the ground by her neck. She flipped around and threw her water pistol at his head which just bounced off. 

"Nick let go, please. We can talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about anymore."

Before Jessica could do anything Nick slammed Rachel into the ground. When Jessica turned her head all she could see were her friend's lifeless eyes. 

Time seemed to slow down.

Jessica couldn't breathe.

Jessica couldn't think.

She only saw Rachel lying there...dead.

The ocean roared more violently and the wind rose so much she could barely see.

Another bright light filled the air.

"NICK!" A loud voice called...shaking the sandy ground.

"Mother?"

Sam and Dean fought the sloshing water and cutting sand to get to Jessica's side.

"Come now. You've done enough, my son." The Mither said and held out her large hand made of water. The Nuckelavee looked back at Rachel for a second and then disappeared into the light. 

The bright light went away, but Rachel still laid there. In the sand, dead. 

"If there was anything I could do..." Sam started.

Jessica took a deep breath and slightly rose up onto her hands and knees before making her way over to her best friend. She clutched one of Rachel's hands and the other put a hand over her eyes to close them. She looked down in front of her, Rachels' matching bracelet they just got sat there in the sand. Jess grabbed it up and tied it on to her wrist and the sobbed into her hands. Sam and Dean could only watch Jessica mourn her friend.


	11. A Monster Killed My Friend

**Then**

_"Rach, that's not Nick. Okay! That's a monster._

_"Nick let go, please. We can talk about this."_

_"I loved you Rachel, but you don't... there's nothing to talk about anymore."_

_Before Jessica could do anything Nick slammed Rachel into the ground._

**Now**

**(One Week Later)**

The Winchester's had taken care of everything, well mostly. They buried Rachel in a nearby field a couple of minutes' drive away from her home as Jessica refused to have her cremated. They called someone named Bobby and told him that they were gonna swing by for a visit when they came through his part of town, but they figured it would be a few days till they got there.

Sam quickly told Jessica everything she needed to know about this Bobby guy while in the car on the way back to the motel. Bobby was like a father figure to both Sam and Dean. She knew he was trying to distract her or help cheer her up but she was finding it difficult to cope and it didn't drive her sadness away one bit. 

She was empty inside. 

Jessica had been so optimistic that they would have saved Rachel...but they didn't. She was gone and Jess was still here. She wouldn't see her ever again, hear her voice ever again, or laugh along to another one of her stupid My Little Pony jokes ever again and she didn't know what to do? 

She did know that Sam and Dean were itching to leave, she could see if they thought she wasn't looking at them. Jess knew it was a given that they weren't gonna stay, why would they?

• • • • • •

( **Dean's POV)**

Dean knew that they had to move on but he didn't know how to tell Jess. She'd just lost everything and had no one. Sam cornered him after the burial and started with the questions.

"Where do we go from here? As far as I know, Jess has no other family. I mean do you think we could just take her with us?" 

"Not to be blunt...but we came here for a case, not to pick up more baggage Sammy."

"I know...it's just she hasn't spoken since that night and she hasn't gotten better. I get that she is mourning but she has no one, Dean." Sam leaned against the Impala with his brother. He knew what Sam was saying and he felt for the girl, he really did but having Jess with them while they were actively on cases would be dangerous. Dean would have to look out for both of them, not just Sam.

They both knew that they all shouldn't stay this long but Jess needed time. They had of course thought about leaving the girl to deal with it on her own but they had unanimously decided to extend their stay for a few days.

Sam's voice cut the silence, "What if Bobby..."

"Sam, she doesn't even know him. She may not want to stay with us. All I know is Gabe sent us here for a reason." Sam sighed and pushed himself from the car.

"You really think he wasn't pulling our legs?" 

"I don't know," Dean said as he thought about what they should do. 

"What do we do then?" Dean followed his brother and shut the trunk to Baby.

"Easy, let her decide."

• • • • • •

**(Jessica's POV)**

Jessica's life was an endless nightmare. 

Reliving Rachel's death over and over again until she woke up each morning, haunted her. She knew Sam and Dean were starting to take notice of her sluggishness. She couldn't exactly help it. She knew that she was only being haunted by her mind but the nightmares scared her to death. 

Every day she woke up, remembered once more that Rachel was still dead, and felt as if she could've done something to stop that monster. Her body was in the ground now. 

Sam, Dean tried to offer her some semblance of comfort but for a girl who's already lost so much; but it was difficult. Castiel had checked in later in the night and explained to her why he had to leave, he hadn't wanted to draw the other angels to them after showing his true form, but Jessica didn't say anything and just sulked.

Usually, you had the comforting members of your family to help take the pain away. They cooked dinners to get you through the day. Prayers and condolences came from others all around you. 

However, Jessica had no one. It had been so long since her parents had passed and she had no other family other than Rachel and now that she was gone Jess didn't know how to function. Because now she truly had no one.

What really got to Jessica though was that Rachel's death would never be honored. They had to bury her out in a field somewhere, all alone; South Carolina wasn't even their home state. No one would visit her. No one would place flowers on her grave. No one would ever know that she was there or that she lived or ever existed. She would never be remembered.

"You okay?" Jess glanced over at Sam who had been typing away on his computer. She heard them earlier that morning talking to Bobby over the phone about leaving. 

Jessica knew they were gonna leave eventually, but she wasn't ready to watch them go. She couldn't really comprehend going back to normal life without them. They were the only ones who understood what she was really going through.

She didn't speak or nod but moved to sit beside him as Sam continued to search through the news, reading article after article and Jessica sat right beside him, watching him scan the words on his screen until she fell asleep.

• • • • • •

**(The next day)**

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Sam asked.

Jess only nodded. She knew that if she didn't do this now then she never would. Plus, if she decided to go with the Winchesters then she'd probably never come back here again.

She walked slowly from the Impala to her house, the keys in her hand shook slightly as she took the three steps up the porch. She looked behind her and saw Sam in the car giving her a look of encouragement. She nodded, took a breath, and then unlocked the door.

She hadn't been here in exactly one week. This place had been her home for seven years. It had felt like home but now it was nothing but a distant memory. It was no longer a home now that Rachel was gone. 

A few days ago, Dean had come over to clean out the fridge per Jessica's request. He hadn't touched anything else though, leaving that up to the woman herself. 

She shut the front door and looked around the sitting room. There was a lot of stuff she'd have to leave because the Winchesters didn't have a permanent residence and Jess had a feeling she couldn't use the Impala as her personal storage unit. It wasn't like there was room in the trunk anyway. 

Jessica took her time, walking through each room, and reliving each memory that had been made there. Christmas' and birthdays and late-night movie marathons. All of that was gone...just like Rachel and it was never coming back. 

Jessica moved to her room and started packing all the things she couldn't help but keep. Mementos from her life before South Carolina and from the last seven years. She made sure to get her computer hard drive and her softest blanket and also grabbed more clothes and other essentials. 

Jessica turned to her bookshelf which was mostly bare as she had taken what she needed last week. She almost moved on but then saw one book she'd thought she'd grabbed last time. Her family Bible. She hadn't opened in a while because she had been so busy with work and immediately she regretted it. 

Jessica had momentarily put her faith on hold in place of taking extra shifts at work to go to Pony Con. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she took hold of the Bible and brought it to her chest.

"I know that we all go through trials but I'm not sure if I can get through this without Rachel. Lord...I need guidance. I don't know what to do and I'm scared...so scared to lose anyone else. Give me strength...help me get through this." She mumbled out through the tears before placing the Bible with her things.

She looked up and caught sight of the polaroids on her wall. Ones of the garden and the clouds, others of Rachel on Halloween, and the pet fish she bought last spring...sadly cookie hadn't lasted four months. Jessica grabbed them all and shoved them down in the bag before retreating from her room.

Rachel's door to her room was closed. Jessica waited for a moment, her hand on the doorknob. She closed her eyes and for a brief moment, she could pretend that Rachel was still here... somewhere in the house or out in the garden and that she'd be back in a few minutes to have lunch.

The moment was broken when her cellphone buzzed in her pocket. Jess grabbed it, thinking it would be Sam but was met with her boss' number. She took a gulp, sending the quickest prayer for courage in her life, and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi there Jessica, it's Ian...your boss."

"Hi Ian," she said as her hand came off the doorknob.

"I just wanted to call as you and Rachel hadn't been at work for a week. I left a message the other day." He said which caused Jess to sag into the hall's wall. 

"I know...I'm sorry. I sent my resignation by email yesterday."

"Yeah...that's why I'm calling...just as a follow-up but you should know that it doesn't look good not showing up for an entire week and then sending in your notice." He said with a stern voice. Jess could tell he was mad.

"I know...I'm sorry. There has been so much that has happened this week...family stuff and I should have called. There is no excuse." She said into the phone.

"That's alright. Should I email your and Rachel's checks?"

"Just mine Ian...Rachel...well she." Jessica took a shuddering breath, "Rachel died last week and um..." She stopped talking and silence enveloped them. Jessica slowly sank down to the floor, her back still to the wall.

Then Ian's soothing drawl came over the phone, "Oh...I'm sorry. How...Jessica, are you alright?"

Jessica sucked in another breath, "Not really Ian...and I know I should have dropped by--"

"No Jessica. Let me apologize alright." He said.

Ian continued to talk, most of which made her cry but he told her, he'd get everything in order in sending her check as well as Rachel's seeing as she couldn't collect hers.

"Do you have any family at all to stay with?" His words rang out over the phone after another minute.

"Yeah...yeah, I got some people."


	12. There goes my Burger

Jessica had never been to South Dakota.

She wasn't a really traveling type of person until her parents passed away. She had lived in Connecticut, a small town surrounded by smaller towns until she was fourteen. Then she moved in with Rachel and they hopped around with Rachel's aunt in even smaller towns until she went to college in South Carolina.

Jess lived there for seven years. That all ended a week ago when Rachel died. So now she was sitting in the back of what Dean referred to as Baby, the Impala owned by the Winchester brothers.

They fought monsters and won, most of the time. Dean was the older brother. He liked fast cars and beautiful women and was very protective of Sam...they almost seemed to be joined at the hip but Jessica learned quickly that it was because they had no one else but each other. Sam on the other hand seemed to be the exact opposite. He was studious and took hunting very seriously. He seemed like a no-nonsense kind of person except one night a few days back, Dean may have let slip all the kinds of trouble Sam had gotten into when he was younger.

It had brought her relief to know they were very easy going but protective people.

They hadn't told her their whole life story or anything specific...but she had heard enough. A demon had killed their mom, that same demon was the reason their father had died a few years back. She hadn't pressed for details but she was sure it wasn't a pretty picture.

Still, they were hunters...basically, Rambo if he fought ghosts or something...she hadn't been paying particular attention when Dean was going on and on about monsters in the last week.

She'd been too preoccupied thinking about Rachel.

All alone in the ground.

Jessica didn't blame them for Rachel. She didn't blame Cas, who was sitting beside her in the back seat. She didn't even blame herself. She knew they'd tried their best. She blamed Nick or the Nucklevee or whatever he called himself. He killed Rachel. He was the reason she'd died.

"Jess you wanna stop for food?" She looked up at Sam, a lazy smile on his face. She nodded her head and returned her gaze outside the window. It was easier to look outside than all the faces around her. 

She hadn't spoken since Rachel's funeral. There wasn't really a reason to. Her words couldn't make anything better, couldn't change anything, couldn't bring her back. Jess couldn't do anything now like Rachel couldn't do anything. She didn't know if she'd ever be the same again.

When they stopped she excused herself to the bathroom, mostly because she had to pee but also because all three men, well two men and angel friend were starting to get on her nerves. They knew she was sad, and it looked like they were sad for her but it was annoying. She knew they didn't want to say anything to upset her but Jess figured she was more mad than sad.

She didn't know what to do so she kept saying the prayer in her head from a few days prior. Lord give me strength. She didn't know if it could help her or not, but every time she thought of the words, a feeling of calm washed over her.

And it was enough, for now.

When they pulled back onto the road from the drive-thru she opened her bag and pulled out her sandwich. There seemed to be a commotion out on the road in front of them and Jess found herself quickly grabbing onto Castiel so she wouldn't go flying. when Dean swerved to avoid a pothole and saw a burger flip up into the air. Cas didn't even realize that his trench and face was covered in mustard and pickles. The sight was absurd, which made Jessica burst into laughter for the first time in days.

"You done messed up, Jimmy." She said while trying to wipe some of the mess away with a handful of napkins. Cas gave her a look but she couldn't figure out what he was saying. She gave him a smile so she wouldn't laugh at him and continued to clean him up.

Cola spewed out of Dean's mouth, followed by a coughing attack. Sam clapped his brother on the back, before looking back at Jess.

"Well, looks like our mute speaks," Dean said before Sam got a chance to say anything.

"He means that it's nice to hear your voice." 

Dean quickly agreed with Sam so he didn't get punched by his brother.

The girl smiled up at the two and resumed to pick at her chicken sandwich. Castiel was staring at his now dirty trench coat as they continued on to South Dakota.

• • • • • •

Jessica of course had never met Bobby Singer and the brothers hadn't said much, but he seemed like he was in the scrap metal business or at least did something with old hunks of vehicles.

"So, this is Bobby's?" Jess gestured to the junkyard and grabbed her bags from the trunk. Sam poked his head out from the Impala.

"Yeah, believe it or not, people used to work for him." Dean laughed at Sam's words and slapped him on the back after they shoved each other on their way to Bobby's front door.

Dean rapped his knuckles on the door."Bobby! Open up, it's us!" 

Jess heard the door unlock. The man who answered the door was in a wheelchair which was the exact opposite of what Jessica was expecting.

"It's good to see you boys....now who's this?" The brothers entered Bobby's home, Jess followed close behind.

"This is Jessica. She's been traveling with us." Bobby nodded at Dean then peered back at the girl.

"You a hunter?" Jessica grinned and sat down on the couch offered to her.

"Not really. Dean and Sam have been helping a lot though...with that I guess."

Bobby nodded again and asked the boys if she'd been tested yet.

Sam quickly explained Jess' story to Bobby. It seemed to clear up a couple of things. However, it didn't stop Bobby from flicking her with some holy water. He had also wanted to cut her with a silver knife but Sam convinced him just to let her hold the thing. The last thing they needed was Jessica freaking out if Bobby came at her with a knife. After she was deemed safe enough, Bobby was okay with her staying.

"All right. You can stay until you've got another job. Jessica if you want, I've got plenty of Lore books; read a few, you might learn something. Listen it's late as balls. I'm going to bed." The old man wheeled himself away and muttered something about food in the morning.

"Night Bobby!" Sam yelled as he handed Jess a towel to wipe her face off with. 

Dean pointed at the stairs."Extra room, go right up to the second door on the left. Get some sleep. We'll pick this up in the morning." 

On cue, Jess yawned. The girl hugged both the brothers and disappeared up the steps but not before hearing Sam and Dean talking to one another.

"We've gotta teach her. I don't want her getting hurt out on the job Sammy." Sam shrugged out of his flannel and grabbed a blanket. 

Jess blinked at Dean's words. Was she really cut out for such a career as this one? Maybe she should head back home. She turned to walk back down the stairs when she heard Sam's answer.

"She's strong and capable, Dean. You saw her while we researched and when we went up against the Nuckelavee. For a beginner, she's not half bad. Jess just needs to adapt and she will with some time." 

She let a small smile fit onto her face. Sam seemed to always see the best in people even when there didn't look like there was. That was not to say that Jessica was evil...just normal. Average. But Sam believed in her and for now, that had to be enough.

"We'll figure it out tomorrow." The elder Winchester grumbled.

"Night Dean."

"Yeah, yeah." 

Jess finished climbing the stairs and went to bed. Dean was right, they'd figure it out tomorrow.


	13. Abandon All Hope

The next morning was filled with lots of coffee and lots of lore. Jessica had managed to find a can of pears in the kitchen and helped herself. Apparently, the oncoming apocalypse was bad for consumer buying...or Bobby just never really ate.

She thought she'd wake up and the three hunters would give a crash course in all things monster but Sam and Dean were adamant that Jessica stay at Bobby's as they went after Crowley and the magic gun to kill Lucifer, the devil. She didn't even know such a thing existed having been thrust in all this literally a week ago. Jessica thought she was handling it all rather well. 

Two other hunters, Ellen and Jo Harvelle had shown up at the crack of dawn and were very eager to help the boys. Jessica talked to Jo before she left with the boys and her mother who stayed behind even more so. They were somewhat excited to see a new female face in the ranks even if she was brand new. Ellen Harvelle was a no-nonsense kind of woman, a quality that made even Dean steered clear of, lest he wanted her tanning his hide.

Jo, her daughter was a few years older than Jess and she was excitable in the sense that hunting seemed to be the only thing she wanted to do or talk about. She seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders and was very nice but even Bobby was worried about her.

"She lost her daddy a handful of years back. Ellen tried to keep her out of the hunting life but when the world's ending, it's a kind of all hands on deck situation." The old man had murmured as Jess watched Dean and Jo flirt.

Jessica turned back to Bobby, the man was in the process of moving a ton of old books across the room. Jess immediately started helping him and asking all sorts of questions about Lucifer and the other angels. She figured she could ask Cas for the information but as he wasn't at the house at the moment that would have to wait. Bobby answered a few questions but then after telling her he wasn't the _Search the Net_ , he threw a larger tome her way and told her to figure it out on her own.

Jess gulped and sat, taking up the large book. She had flipped to a random page in the book and read the title. _Reapers_. 'Hmm, interesting.' Jess thought then a knock resounded on the wall beside her, she looked up and saw Sam gazing down at her.

"We're gonna head out...you'll be safe here. Promise."

She nodded and held up the book, "Yeah if Bobby doesn't throw a book at my head." She said and laughed. "Be careful, okay. Oh maybe grab some food while you're out. This place is dry." She said and he nodded before grinning at her and then headed out the front door. 

Jessica turned back to her book before shooting a glance at Bobby who was staring at her...apparently he had heard her brief conversation with Sam.

"She's right you know." Ellen chimed in taking a break from arguing/saying goodbye to her daughter. Bobby's face scrunched but he didn't respond to Jess or Ellen.

"Mom I'll be fine." Jess heard Jo say.

The would-be hunter looked up from the stack of books for a moment to watch Jo and her mother. They had finally stopped arguing. Jo was to be bait so that the Winchesters could get into a demon's mansion...which sounded crazy but apparently, that was just another day at the office for the brothers. Ellen was wrapping her daughter in one last hug before sending her off with the boys who had already left for the impala.

Jessica wasn't paying attention to what they were saying but the way Ellen held onto Jo reminded her of her own mother...when she was still alive of course. She used to pick Jess up when she was little, sometimes if Jess had fallen flat on her face or for no reason at all. It brought a warmth to the girl who had felt like she'd been drowning the last few days.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Jo called back at all three of them, "Can't be all that hard right? It's just the devil after all."

The girl sighed and reopened the book and got to reading. She read the chapter on reapers, which was quite interesting. They served death and took the recently deceased away from the realm of the living. She got major Beetlejuice vibes from it. The rest of the book was a few odds and ends as there wasn't the main theme. Different monsters and other supernatural creatures were accounted for in the next couple of chapters so she skipped ahead, not really looking for anything until she found something about Lucifer.

**Many Christians believe the Devil was once a beautiful angel named Lucifer who defied God and fell from grace. This assumption that he is a fallen angel is often based on the book of Isaiah in the Bible which says, _"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations."_** ****

**The Devil makes various appearances in the Bible. The most famous being in the book of Genesis as a Snake who tempted Adam and Eve. The devil is also found in the New Testament Jesus and many of his apostles warned people to stay alert for the Devil's cunning enticements that would lead them to ruin. And it was the Devil who tempted Jesus in the wilderness to "fall down and worship him" in exchange for riches and glory.**

**Most other religions and cultures teach of an evil being who roams the earth wreaking havoc and fighting against the forces of good. In Islam, the devil is known as Shaytan and, like the Devil in Christianity, is also thought to have rebelled against God. In Judaism, Satan is a verb and generally refers to a difficulty or temptation to overcome instead of a literal being.**

Jessica heard the sound of the Impala's engine hightailing it out of the salvage yard.

Just thinking about taking on Lucifer made the girl shiver.

Of course, from what Jessica knew from the Bible was that Lucifer was a fallen angel...an all-around bad dude and that Sam and Dean were gonna try to take him out before he could take over the world.

So the plan was to get the gun, kill satan, and save the world.

It seemed pretty simple and Jessica had no qualms about it, except for the practicality of it. If Lucifer was anything like Cas, he would know they'd be coming and how'd they know that the gun actually worked? Jess looked over at Bobby and Ellen.

"So this gun...it's magic?" She asked, having no desire to read more about Lucifer. She flipped forward in the huge book and settled on something called a Sylph.

"Yeah, and it's the only thing that can kill any supernatural son of a mother permanently," Bobby grumbled clearly not pleased that she was bothering him with whatever he was doing.

"How though?"

"Well I figured it had to do with the bullets themselves, so I got to workin' on it and made more, but you also need the actual gun so that's why Dean and Sam are going after it."

Jess nodded at Bobby's explanation. 

The old man headed for the kitchen still grumbling about something as Ellen turned to her.

"Jess, you'll find everything you wanna know in these books. Rule one, Read up." She said and Jess nodded...it was becoming achingly clear that no one here was gonna help her with any of this so she decided to can it on the questions and help herself.

Hours had gone by, Jessica had zoomed her way through a few books and even taken a nap. There wasn't much else to do other than that. She desperately wanted to ask Bobby how to handle herself in a fight but she still didn't know the man well enough and didn't want to bother him too much seeing as her questions from earlier had only but annoyed him.

So she stuck to reading and making as little noise as possible. She made it through the interesting stuff, werewolves and vampires and these things called skinwalkers that sounded kinda gross. Eventually, Cas had shown back up and told them the demon's house had warding on it so he couldn't get inside.

"So is this guy some big shot down below?" Jess asked from her armchair. Cas turned to her and actually answered her question.

"Just a crossroads demon, but paranoid. The question is, why does he have such a powerful weapon?"

"Do you think he's hiding it for someone, his boss?" Jess asked but Cas shook his head

"Demons are inherently narcissistic, looking out for only themselves. This demon must know something." He said and looked as if he were in thought.

"Cas, I have some questions if you have time." She started which led them down the time-consuming path. The angel tried to answer all the questions she had. It may have seemed frivolous to be asking what kind of sigils she'd need to memorize or how to deal with the different ranks of angels right at that moment but there was no time but the present to learn all this anyway and they had time actually.

Soon Bobby came wheeling in and effectively shut down Jessica's class time by asking Cas to help with weapon preparations. The angel having little knowledge himself, reluctantly agreed and followed the old man as he wheeled himself back out of the study.

Jessica groaned and went back to the books. She wanted to help as well but where would she begin? A few days back, Sam had told her the process of melting down silver for bullets while they were cruising down the road and it didn't seem difficult but she was no alchemist.

If she got anywhere near a pot filled with silver, she could potentially blow up Bobby's house and he hardly seemed like the forgiving type. It was obvious he didn't exactly like her so she wasn't gonna make the man hate her.


	14. Worth a Shot

**Abandon All Hope Continued** ****

After her twenty questions game with Cas, Bobby sent her into town to a local gun store run by this guy named Dave. She figured Bobby was getting tired of hearing her talk and Jess needed a change of scenery anyway. The fourish walls of the study were growing tired. Jess guessed this Dave guy was friends with Bobby because he just gave her a crate of ammunition without asking for any payment whatsoever. 

Dave seemed like an okay guy, didn't talk too much, and even helped her get the supplies into the car Bobby let her take into town. 

"Thanks, Dave, really."

"Must be some hunting trip." The old guy laughed and shut the bed of the truck.

"Yeah, a new family tradition I guess." She shrugged and grabbed her wallet. 

"No ma'am. I can't." He said and held his hand up. 

"Dave," She said and handed him the bills. "Beers on me." The guy smiled at her and accepted the money. She waved goodbye then made her way back to Bobby's eager to see if the boys were back yet. After returning to the house and unloading the ammo crate she found herself back in the study reading up on all that was monster.

Sam had texted her about forty minutes back as she blinked to keep her eyes on a page about some sort of frog demon, that they would be back soon and that they had the gun and she counted the seconds until they came back. Eventually, she heard the impala pull up and the trio piled into the house. Dean showed off the gun and Jess didn't actually know what she was expecting. It looked old, almost vintage.

There was a moment of silence as they stared at the gun, before the room filled with music. Jessica glanced up and over to the corner where the old radio sat.

"What? If we're going out, we're going out with a bang." He said and turned the music up.

Jess laughed as she looked over at Dean who was trying to order food and Jo who was handing out drinks so decided to clean up her book area a little so they'd have room to sit. Sam grabbed some books from her arms.

"Thanks." She said and he nodded.

"Uh, everything go okay? Cas said this guy had some major artwork up." Sam laughed at her.

"Yeah, he was helpful actually which is a little concerning as demons rarely care or help, unless they have something to gain." Jess squinted her eyes. Funny as Cas had said the same thing to her. There seemed to be a story there, but it hardly seemed like the time. 

After moving the books she moved towards the kitchen.

"Jess?" Jo asked and offered a beer.

"Nah, I'm good." Jess smiled at the girl. She liked Jo as she reminded her of Rachel just a tad, maybe because of her hair or her spunk, Jess couldn't tell. 

Rachel had been slightly crazy in a good way, always going on about ponies or their job or what kind of wrapping paper to buy that Christmas. Of course, back then that was all they had to worry about. Wrapping paper and a normal life seemed as far as the north pole at this point.

"All right, big boy." Ellen looked at Cas. Jess watched them from the doorway. She'd only known Ellen for the day, but she could totally get used to her as well. She was like the female version of Bobby but probably more comedic and prettier. 

As Jessica been reading throughout the day, Ellen shared quite a few stories about various cases she and Jo had together and some good advice if she ever got caught in a tight spot. Jessica took the advice gladly. 

"Well," Cas with a small smile then proceeded to down all five shots. "I think I'm starting to feel something." Jo laughed at the angel as the doorbell rang. Jess looked around but it was as if no one had heard it. 

She grabbed some cash off the table and made her way to the door. After securing the mountain of take-out and paying the teenager for the delivery, she made her way back to the main room slowly.

"Thank you again for your continued support," Sam said to Dean as she passed them to make for the kitchen.

"You're welcome," Dean said as they clink their bottles together.

"Food's up," Jess called out as everyone made their way over.

Dean looked up at her but still continued to talk to Sam, "You know, trap or no trap, we got a snowball's chance, we gotta take it, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Besides, I'm not sure it is a trap. Check it out. I mean, Carthage is lit up like a Christmas tree with Revelation omens. And look at this." Dean said and shoved Sam some papers.

"Hey, table the conversation for now. Let's eat then we'll get serious." Ellen said as she grabbed some of the bags from Jess's arms.

"Okay." Dean and Sam both said quite reluctantly. 

"Thanks, Ellen," Jess said as the bags shifted, the load much lighter now.

"Jo, grab some plates," the older woman said as they all turned into the kitchen. Dean sauntered over to Jo who was in fact grabbing various things they'd need. Jess would have to memorize the kitchen so she could help next time. 

She saw Dean initiating yet another attempt over to woo Jo. She rolled her eyes and sat.

"So. Dangerous mission tomorrow. Guess it's time to eat, drink, and, you know, make merry." Dean said to her

"Are you giving me the last-night-on-earth speech?" Jo smiled at him as Jessica passed out plates.

Sam took a plate with a half-smile and placed some glasses around the small table for those who weren't sticking to just beer as they both watched Dean and Jo. 

"What?...No, If I was, would, uh, would that work?" He asked in a hushed voice and Jo grinned, leaning in like she was about to kiss him but then pulled away at the last minute.

"No. Sweetheart, if this is our last night on earth, then I'm going to spend it with a little thing I call self-respect," Jo laughed and patted him on the cheek. "And some Sesame chicken."

Jess laughed at Dean as Jo plopped down at the table. "Smooth man."

• • • • • • 

After the food was gone, Jess was cleaning up the kitchen as everyone else except Sam and Dean seemed to vanish to the study. The brothers seemed to want to finish their previous conversation from before dinner. 

Jessica thought that perhaps she should leave, give them some space but she'd lost a bet with Cas and had to clean the kitchen. Not that the angel knew how to work a dishwasher. She tried to pay them no mind but of course, since they were literal feet away that was counterintuitive. 

"Look, I go against Satan and screw the pooch, okay. We've lost a game piece. That we can take. But if you're there, then we are handing the devil's vessel right over to him. That's not smart." Dean pointed a finger at his brother. 

She could tell they were trying to be quiet so it wouldn't flatten the mood but the conversation was quite serious. Like death serious. She eyed them from where she was putting away clean plates before taking up a washrag to wipe the counter down.

Perhaps she should have asked Bobby for cleaning supplies. She shook her head and continued to scrub. All this cleaning reminded her of when she was nineteen and had a summer job cleaning up an office space for some start-up company. 

The office space wasn't similar to Bobby's house but it certainly had always been in a mess, one that she'd become accustomed to cleaning on a weekly basis. 

"Since when have we ever done anything smart?" Sam asked and Jess stopped wiping the counter off.

"I'm serious, Sam." Dean crossed his arms.

"So am I. Haven't we learned a d*mn thing? If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it together." Sam said and gave his brother a look. 

Dean sighed and Jess made her way over to him. She placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. Whatever happened, Jessica knew she'd be there for them like they were for her.

"Okay. But it's a stupid frigging idea." Dean shook his head and Jess could tell this was hard for him.

"It is a stupid idea." She said, finally turning to face them head-on, "But it's the only one we have."

Sam nodded as well as Dean, they weren't even gonna argue. She was apart of this just as much as they were. Facing down the devil wasn't ideal but hopefully now that they had the Colt, it would do all the work for them and they'd never have to deal with Lucifer ever again.

"Everybody get in here! It's time for the lineup. Usual suspects in the corner." Bobby called from the study. They slowly staggered over.

"What's happening?" Jess asked.

"Oh come on, Bobby. Nobody wants their picture taken." Ellen said as they moved further into the room.

"Hear, hear." Jess heard Sam say and she looked around her at everyone present. Why would Bobby want a photo of them all? He didn't seem like the sentimental type.

"Shut up. You're drinking my beer," Bobby said as he rolled his wheelchair back towards the ragtag group as Cas came from the kitchen.

"Anyway, I'm gonna need something to remember your sorry asses by." Bobby continued as Ellen looped and arm around her shoulders. Jess could feel Cas's coat sleeve touch her shoulder and she smiled at the camera.

"Ha! Always good to have an optimist around." Ellen said and Jess laughed out loud. Sam ruffled her hair and they all look towards the camera.

"Bobby's right. Tomorrow we hunt the devil. This is our last night on earth." Cas said and Jess's smile disappeared. She blinked over in the angel's direction as the camera flashed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas Everyone!


	15. Brace for Impact

**Abandoned All Hope Continued**

The ride to Carthage was oddly silent. Jessica lounged in the back of the Impala as Dean drove and Sam sat shotgun. It was a comforting silence but even Jess wanted the boys to say something, anything.

Clearly, there were no words to share, no goodbye speeches to make...and that, well, was because they all hoped they'd face down the devil today and live which was a substantial notion. They had the gun that was true but she knew the devil would have a trick up his sleeve.

Jessica wished Rachel was still alive. She had always been kooky and even a tad bit crazy but she always knew what to say. How to help Jess if she was stressed or worried because they had known each other inside and out. They'd been sisters and Rachel had always been the stronger of the two.

But Rachel was gone and she wasn't coming back so Jess had to be the strong one now. All on her own.

Carthage looked like an ordinary town except it was completely empty. No one was out on main street, no other cars except theirs were moving. It was eerie and quiet. Too quiet.

Both brothers stuck their hands out their windows, phones raised up.

"Are you getting a signal?" Sam asked.

Dean shook his head, "No, nothing. Nice and spooky."

The elder Winchester waved at Ellen to pull up near the Impala. Jess caught Cas's stare from the back of Ellen's station wagon and gave a small wave.

"Place seem a little empty to you?" She asked as Jess looked around. The town was empty like the women said, maybe they had gotten it wrong.

"We're gonna go check out the PD. You guys stay here, see if you can find anybody." She heard Dean say and the Impala moved forward.

• • • • • •

The local police station was completely deserted when they opened the front door, however, they still needed to check it. Sam and Dean both slid from the car as Jessica followed right behind them. The Impala's trunk was a weapons cache that Jessica tried not to think about too often as both boys were lugging around a lot of illegal weapons in the back.

Sam shot her a smile and then handed her a shotgun. "Um...Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"It's point and shoot right?" She asked and eyed the gun that was now resting in her hands.

Dean smirked and picked up his own gun and other weapons while Sam quickly but briefly explained it was not all 'point and shoot' with this one. Jessica carefully listened to the man as he neared the front door of the station.

"Just be careful Jess. We're right here, alright."

She nodded and followed them inside. The lights were cut off and there wasn't a soul in sight just like outside. Dean went over to the radios and fiddled with them for a moment while Sam checked the holding area for well any sign of life.

Once they all deemed they were truly alone, Jess set off for the break room. There was a vending machine in there and she so happened to have a dollar so she bought a candy bar and met back up with Sam who was waiting on Dean.

She offered him a bite of her chocolate and he actually accepted. Jess was surprised and then mortified when Sam took more than half of her candy bar. She quickly jabbed him in the arm until he surrendered the rest, causing them both to laugh. She had glad to see Sam smile as he rarely did.

However, Dean who'd walked around the corner to meet them was not laughing.

"It's clean, let's head back," He grumbled past them.

• • • • • •

Jess and the boys meet Ellen and Jo back by their car.

"Station's empty," Dean said as they stopped in front of the girls.

"So's everything else," Jo said and waved her hand around. It was a little odd that no one was there, something was definitely going on, people didn't just up and leave like this.

"Have you seen Cas?" Ellen asked.

"What? He was with you." Sam stated.

"Nope. He went after the reapers." Ellen told them.

"Reapers?" Dean asked. Jess had just read about the day before. Reapers usually showed up when someone was going to die. It was odd though, they couldn't find anyone in town so who was being reaped.

"He saw reapers? Where?" Sam asked as he looked up and down the street.

"Well, kind of everywhere I guess," Jo said and Jess looked around her on instinct. "He walked down the street from the way we came in." She said and pointed behind her. Jess looked past her shoulder but no one was there. Well it was good she couldn't see them, it usually meant it was countdown time if you could.

"It doesn't make sense though, we can't find anyone in town, there's no one to reap." Jess said.

"He said they gather up when something bad's bound to happen." The trio shared a look.

"Well, this is great, been in town twenty minutes and already lost the angel up our sleeve." Dean rolled his eyes as they grabbed their guns from the boot of the car.

"You think, uh, you think Lucifer got him?" Sam asked as they slowly walked through the town, looking for any sign of the angel.

"Maybe it was a trap, but why would he single out Cas, it's Sam he wants right?" Jess asked and Ellen nodded about to respond.

"There you are." A voice called and Jess whipped her head around. It was a brunette woman in a leather jacket.

"Meg," Sam said.

"Shouldn't have come here, boys." The woman Meg, said with a smirk. Obviously, the brother knew the lady. However why she in this town didn't make sense? Was she another hunter?

"Hell, I could say the same thing for you," Dean smirked and aimed the colt at her. 'Okay, not a hunter then.' Jess as she gripped her shotgun tight.

"Didn't come here alone, Deano." She continued to smile as something splashed in a puddle near her feet; the sounds of dogs growling and barking came from around them.

"Hellhounds," Dean stated.

"Hell what?" Jess asked and looked around but still didn't see anything.

"Yeah, Dean's favorite," Meg smiled again. "What's this?" She asked and looked at Jess. "A new pet?"

They both ignored her as Jess blinked. She had no reason to talk to this Meg person so she remained quiet. Meg just continued to smile, looking back over at Sam.

"Okay, fine...come on then. My father wants to see you."

Jess's eyes widened, her father? Who was her father?

"I think we'll pass, thanks." Sam sneered at Meg.

"Your call. You can make this easy or you can make it really, really hard." She said and placed her hands on her hips.

Dean quickly looked back at Ellen but Jess didn't catch what was going on."When have you known us to ever make anything easy?" He said and shot the colt at Meg's feet, blood splattering around from the hellhound.

"Run!" She heard Sam yell and she doesn't need to be told twice. 

"Dean!" She hears Jo yell and her eyes are drawn to them not far away.

"Jo, stay back!" He yelled as Jo started firing away.

An invisible hound barked to Jessica left and by instinct and what literally Sam taught her a half an hour ago, she pointed the shotgun low and steady and pulled the trigger. A sharp howl was heard as the hound knocked into Jess sending her flying back, smacking her head on the pavement.

Jessica sat up and she couldn't hear much, only that there was a commotion going on to her left. She held her head with one hand, and flung the shotgun up as and struggled to find her footing. She could see Dean and Sam grabbing for Jo who was on the ground and not doing so hot.

More hounds growl and bark around Jessica as she finally stood and booked it over to Sam who was blindly shooting at the hounds. She took from his book and let a few rounds off herself to try and cover their backs. She saw Dean had entered some hardware store with Jo in his arms as Ellen was shooting, hot on his trail.

Before Jess could run past Sam and Ellen, something pulled her back down to the ground. Jessica yelled out and swung the butt of the shotgun behind her, effectively hitting a hound straight in the face...or at least what she hoped was its face. Then the pain came.

Her shoulder was on fire but apparently using a sawed-off as a melee weapon really did wonders and she was no longer being held hostage by the invisible force.

Before she knew what was really going on, Sam was half hauling half dragging her away into the store. Ellen was still firing as they yanked the doors open.

Jessica and Sam both carried by their momentum to get to the store slammed into an aisle, knocking over all kinds of tools. Jessica righted herself, blinked a couple times, and then moved to help Dean with some bags of rock salt that by a miracle was in the store. She checked once more for Sam who was currently chaining the doors up.


	16. Surrounded

**Abandon All Hope Continued**

"Boys, need some help here!" The older woman called.

Jessica fumbled forward and kicked a bag of rock salt to Sam and grabbed one herself to hand to Dean.

"Go go go—" Sam yelled at no one in particular, most likely high on adrenaline. Dean took the bag from Jessica and then pushed her forward toward Ellen.

The two men slit their bags open and frantically pour lines of salt near the doorway and every window. Jess slid next to Ellen who was fiddling with Jo's shirt. There was blood all over the floor.

Jessica immediately placed her hands on Jo's stomach to keep the pressure on her wounds. Ellen looked Jess over and gasped. "Honey."

Finally having a chance to look herself over, Jess saw that her shirt had been torn and three claw marks were bleeding from her shoulder halfway to her elbow.

Jessica who was clearly in pain pushed the pain away and kept her hands on Jo. "It's just a love tap, besides this is way more urgent." She told the woman, keeping pressure on Jo. She looked around them and spotted some cleaning cloths for cars behind Ellen's head.

"There." She nodded to them with her head and the woman scrambled for them. Sam made his way to them and Dean quite literally had to drag her up and away once Jo was bandaged up.

Jessica protested the whole way but as soon as Dean dug a finger into her wound, she jumped and let him lead her away across the hardware store near the back counter. He helped her sit and spied a bottle of alcohol from under the counter.

"This is gonna hurt like a bitch," Dean told her and ripped the rest of her shirt out of the way.

Without preamble, he poured the alcohol all over her upper arm. Jess shrieked out as the whiskey burned and burned. But then he was right there with some of the cloths Ellen had grabbed and duct tape. 

Jessica didn't even need to look to know her face was a mess with saltwater. He packed her arm up nicely and Sam even handed her a large hoodie with camo deer on it, making sure to gingerly avoid her arm as he helped her get dressed. It's the last thing she wanted to wear but her previous shirt was in literal tatters on the floor, so she wasn't complaining.

"It should hold, for now, may need stitches though. Try not to overexert it." Dean told but Jess' head was still swimming due to the pain.

of course, the power was out which was a problem and there didn't seem to be a backdoor out of the hardware store which didn't make sense. There should have been and probably there once was but after a brief investigation, Jessica found a bricked-up doorway...cutting off their only escape route. Unless they decided to crawl out the back window and up the fire escape?

They checked on Jo once more before taking stock of all the hardware the store had. Jessica was snooping through the back office but she could clearly hear Sam and Dean's conversation.

"Salt lines are holding up," Sam said as he glanced at the windows.

"Safe for now," Dean said.

Jessica spied some headache medicine and took it over to Ellen before popping a few pills herself. She knew it wouldn't be strong enough to help the burn that was still running up her arm but it was better than the whiskey. Jess wanted to stay alert and could afford to be tipsy at a time like this. She could hear Dean loud and clear as she made for the back office again to look for anything...another weapon or gun, seeing as she lost hers in the hound battle outside.

"Hey, you heard Meg. Her father's here. This is our one shot, Sammy. We gotta take it, no matter what."

"Meg, she's a demon?" Jess asked as she dug through a drawer and found some sort of tactical knife. She had no idea how to use it but she didn't think it would be too hard, so she threw it in a pile of the ever-growing things she'd found that might prove useful. So far, she had two matchbooks, a flashlight, and the combo for the safe under the desk she'd parked herself at. 

"Yeah, long story actually." Dean said as he was trying to get Bobby on the phone like he had been for the last thirty minutes.

"Bobby, it's Dean. We got problems."

Jess could hear a crinkle and static and then clear as a bell came Bobby's voice,   
"It's okay, boy. That's why I'm here."

• • • • • •

It felt like hours had gone by, and perhaps it had.

Jessica found basically nothing in the safe. Just some money and a plaque for the hardware store's next employee of the month. She extracted herself from under the desk and filed in beside Dean as he continued to talk to Bobby via radio.

"Before he went missing, did Cas say how many reapers?"

"I don't—he said a lot of things, I guess," Dean said. "Does the number matter?"

"Devil's in the details, Dean." Came Bobby's sass.

"Ellen said Cas said there was a large group of them." Jess piped up from his side.

"I don't like the sound of that."

Dean spoke up, "Nobody likes the sound of that, Bobby, but what—wh—what does that sound like?"

"It sounds like death, son. I think Satan's in town to work a ritual. I think he's planning to unleash Death."Bobby answered him.

Jessica shivered at the thought. As soon as they got into town, everything had felt off and this had to be the reason why.

Dean stopped for a moment, pausing to think and then speaking. "You mean, like, as in this dude and taxes are the only sure thing?"

"As in Death. The horseman. The pale rider in the flesh." Bobby said.

"Unleash? I mean, hasn't Death been tromping all over the place? Hell, I've died several times myself." Dean said, looking over at Sam.

Jessica's eyebrows shot up at that. Dean had mentioned that he had died once...sold his soul to save Sam...but he hadn't mentioned he had died several times. 'I'll have to ask Cas for details sometime.' She thought and looked over at Sam who was taking turns looking at Jo and then at Dean and then at the door. 

She wondered what the younger brother was thinking? She wondered if he also feared how royally screwed they all are or if he actually believed they have a shot of still offing the devil?

Her thoughts are interrupted by Bobby and his rant, "Not this guy. This is—this is the angel of death. Big daddy reaper. They keep this guy chained in a box six hundred feet under. Last time they hauled him up, Noah was building a boat. That's why the place is crawling with reapers. They're waiting on the big boss to show." 

"You have any other good news?" Dean asked.

Bobby's voice crinkled over the line "I've been researching Carthage since you've been gone, trying to suss out what the devil might want there. What you just said drops the last piece of the puzzle in place. The angel of death must be brought into this world at midnight--"

Jessica walked out of earshot and over to Jo who was doing her best to stay upright. Jess plopped down beside the woman. "You cold?"

"Can't really feel anything. Those meds you found are working...I think." Jo said.

Jessica's wiped a stray tear away. Now was not the time to break. She offered a hand to Jo, one which Jo took.

"Saw you got hit too." She said.

Jessica nodded, hand still clutching Jo's. The claw marks on her arm were literally nothing compared to Jo's wounds so she said nothing. After all, there is nothing she can say. So, she just started talking about everything and nothing and before she knew it, she's telling Jo all about Rachel and their life in South Carolina. She's going on and on about college and My Little Pony World, even getting Jo to chuckle here and there.

But it wouldn't be enough.

Jessica knew that Jo wasn't gonna make it out of this hardware store.

And that broke her heart into pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting intense. Hope you're enjoying.  
> -TheSPNFriends


	17. Too Late

**Abandon All Hope Continued**

"That's my girl, you're okay, honey." Jess overheard Ellen say to her daughter.

Jessica had pulled the chair from the back office and was sitting by the front door, keeping watch. From time to time she could hear a hound go by but other than that the coast was clear.

"Now we know where the devil's gonna be, we know when, and we have the Colt," Dean said, making hushed conversation with Sam.

It reminded Jessica of the game plan she had made up in her head only hours before.

 **Get the gun** : Check.

 **Kill the Satan** : still pending.

 **Save the world** : (at this moment in time, this has been reduced to a pipe dream.)

She hadn't thought about injuries or casualties or Castiel being gone this long. The stupid plan she made had seemed so simple...but now all this had become complicated.

All to save the whole darn world and it was up to seven people. Well, six people and an angel. And no one would ever know if they made it out.No one would know Lucifer was back trying to summon death. No one would know that she had been half mauled by a hellhound and that Jo...

Jessica leaned her head on the glass doors of the hardware store, the coolness alleviating her headache little by little. All was quiet and all was calm and all was falling apart. They were basically sitting ducks at this point.

"We just have to get past eight or so hellhounds and get to the farm by midnight," Sam said with no hope in his voice.

"And there's nothing we can do to get around them?" Jess asked.

"No not without Cas. We also gotta get Jo and Ellen the hell out of town." Dean replied.

She stood from her chair. "Won't be easy." She said.

From what they could tell, Jo could barely move. They could go out the front door but that was a huge risk. The hellhounds outside the perimeter would tear them to shreds before they even made it ten feet from the door and nightfall was very much upon them. It would be nearly impossible to see anything once they made it out of the hardware store's door.

"Stretcher?"

"I'll see what we got," Sam said and shot a look at Jess who nodded and started to follow him. Maybe if they could get to the Impala then they'd have a chance?

"Stop. Guys, stop." Jo called from where she was still leaning against the counter.

Jess froze as did the boys. Jo continued after all the talk had stopped.

"Can we, uh, be realistic about this, please? I can't move my legs. I can't be moved. My guts are being held in by an ace bandage. We gotta—we gotta get our priorities straight here. Number one, I'm not going anywhere." She said.

Dean opened his mouth but Ellen beat him to it. "Joanna Beth, you stop talking like that."

Jo faced Ellen head-on, "Mom. I can't fight. I can't walk. But I can do something. We got propane, wiring, rock salt, iron nails, everything we need."

"Everything we need?" Sam echoed in question. Jess looked slightly confused at the girl.

"To build a bomb, Sam."

"No. Jo, no," Dean said and pushed forward.

"You got another plan? You got any other plan? Those are hellhounds out there, Dean. They've got all of our scents. Those bitches will never stop coming after you," She explained and then looked back at her mother. "We let the dogs in, you all hit the roof, make a break for the building next over. I can wait here with my finger on the button, rip those mutts a new one. Or at least get you a few minutes' head start, anyway."

"No, I—I won't let you." Ellen pleaded but Jo just shook her head.

"This is why we're here, right? If I can get us a shot on the devil," Her eyes shot back to the elder Winchester, "Dean, we have to take it."

"No!" Ellen yelled, looking back at the brothers."That's not—"

Jo cut her off, "Mom. This might literally be your last chance to treat me like an adult. Might wanna take it?"

Ellen started sobbing which made Jessica's own waterworks started back up but she pushed off from where she's standing, heading down an aisle to grab boxes upon boxes of nails. If this was what Jo wanted then Jess was gonna help see it through. 

There were all sorts of nails, common nails, brad nails, and even specialty nails...if they were gonna build a bomb, she was gonna make sure all the hounds that rushed the store were gonna hurt. Jessica grabbed the roofing nails and masonry nails just for good measure.

They grabbed the remaining ingredients like salt and other sharp objects and hooked the stuff up to actual gas. Jessica watched them work and after it was done, she sent up a prayer, hoping that both bombs would do what they needed to do. She was no angel and by no way was she blessing these bombs but she hoped to God that they would work.

Jessica helped Sam place the trigger in Jo's hand. Jess smiled at the girl. "I've only known you a short time but you're a real badass Jo. I'm glad we met." She told her and stood, leaving Sam to say goodbye.

Ellen gathered her into a hug. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, Jessica. Stay alive now you hear." The woman said into her hair.

Jess blinked back a few more tears and nodded. " Wha-," Jess looked the woman in the eyes and then looked back at Jo. "Yes, Ma'am." She whispered in understanding as Dean kissed Jo for the last time.

Ellen rejoined her daughter and sat down on the floor near her. Jo's tears spiked back up.   
"Mom, no."

"Somebody's gotta let them in. Like you said, you're not moving. You got me, Jo. And you're right, this is important." Ellen told her and the rest of them. Jo nodded then, tears still streaming down her face. Ellen continued, "But I will not leave you here alone."

Sam looked over at his brother, "Dean."

"Get going now, boys. Jess, go with them." Ellen ordered them all.

"Ellen—" Dean tried.

"I said go," Ellen tells them again.

Sam and Dean start backing away where Jessica is headed, for the back of the store...near the office. She was trying so hard not to actually break down but it was getting harder and harder and her shoulder was killing her and Jo and Ellen didn't deserve this.

"And Dean?" Ellen asked, causing Dean to look back.

Ellen looked him dead in the eye, "Kick it in the ass. Don't miss."

Dean nodded and the trio left for the fire escape. 

It was minutes later after they were across to the next building and down the ladder, crossing through the alley when the hardware store blew sky high. The explosion jostled all of them. Jessica forced herself to stop to look back and momentarily she couldn't move. Seconds went by and then Sam was pushing Jessica onward, moving as quickly as they could.

She openly sobbed as they ran right out of town.


	18. Enter the DEVIL

**Abandon All Hope Continued**

They planted themselves in some bushes at the edge of the farm's field. It had been relatively easy for them to find the place. They just followed the brewing wind and smell of death and bingo, they face-planted right near the old battlefield.

Dean looked her over. "How's the shoulder kiddo? You're ears still ringing?"

Jess tried to roll her shoulder and her face scrunched up slightly. She shook out a breath and replied, "It'll feel better once we put the Devil back in the ground. And the ringing is gone but I'm pretty sure those meds I found in the back office were out of date...but I'll be fine."

"That's my girl," Dean whispered and turned his eyes back to the men ahead of them."Guess we know what happened to some of the townspeople."

Dozens of men are milling about yards in front of them, all of them looking off into the distance away from them. Jess wondered what they were all looking at but from where they are crouched in the underbrush, they saw a whole lot of nothing.

"Okay."

"Okay." Dean echoed his brother.

"Last words?" Sam asked.

Jessica cleared her throat, "Let's get this done, then sodas on me." She said with little to no emotion. She wasn't trying to be funny but what else is she supposed to say? She clearly wasn't William Wallace.

Dean flashed her a hint of a smirk and looked at Sam. "I think I'm good."

"Yeah. Me too." Sam said.

"Here goes nothing," Dean told them and they stealthily made their way to whatever it was to meet them in the distance.

Lucifer a la meat suit was digging a hole. It wasn't what Jessica was expecting but she didn't really know what to expect. The townsfolk, mainly men were all chilling around but they didn't even acknowledge the trio.

"Hey!" Sam yelled and brandished his shotgun approaching the devil. "You wanted to see me?"

Lucifer dropped his shovel and turned to Sam with a grin plastered all over his face. "Oh, Sam, you don't need that gun here. You know I'd never hurt you. Not really."

Dean stalked forward, "Yeah? Well, I'd hurt you," He said and pointed the colt right at Lucifer's skull. "So suck it."

The gun fired and the bullet made a home in Lucifer's skull, he collapsed, and then men standing around did nothing. The trio waited, watching them for any movement.

There is nothing for several seconds and the Lucifer exhales sharply, snapping forward, "Owww...:" Lucifer stood and looked at them, "Where did you get that?" He asked Dean and then punched him sending Dean a few feet away. Jessica's eyes widened. The gun hadn't worked and now they were in it deep.

"Now, where were we? Don't feel too bad, Sam. There's only five things in all of creation that that gun can't kill, and I just happen to be one of them. But if you give me a minute, I'm almost done." He said and turned back to his shovel, picking it up and shoveling more dirt.

Sam booked it over to Dean, leaving Jessica near the devil and completely vulnerable. 

Lucifer's head turned slightly to the side to look at her. "Hello there."

Jessica took a few steps back, standing between the sickly looking vessel and the boys ignoring Lucifer and his attempts at conversation. She figured he taunt them but she isn't sure now. He looks way too dangerous... 

"This your girl Sammy? She's delicate sure but probably better than the other one...you know the other Jessica, the one that burned. What an unfortunate reminder." He said with a shake of his head as he removed more dirt from the ground. "I guess this Jess could burn too...but it'd be such a waste." He said, shooting another grin their way.

Sam stood, his back rigid as Satan continued to jab at him.

"Of course, this one's not as beautiful but I can see the appeal. She's cute and pure and doesn't look like she asks too many questions." 

'If only he knew.' Jess thought and shot Dean a look who was still unconscious. He seemed fine...ish.

"I don't suppose you'd just say yes here and now? End this whole tiresome discussion? That's crazy, right?" He sing songed then laughed to himself.

"It's never gonna happen!" The younger brother exclaimed, stepping forward to drawl Jessica back behind him.

Lucifer went back to his hole. "Oh, I don't know, Sam. I think it will. I think it'll happen soon. Within six months. And I think it'll happen in Detroit."

Sam was done playing nice or whatever he was doing so he stalked as close as he could but still maintained a reasonable distance, "You listen to me, you son of a bitch. I'm gonna kill you myself, you understand me? I'm going to rip your heart out!"

The devil smiled then, "That's good, Sam. You keep fanning that fire in your belly. All that pent-up rage. I'm gonna need it."

Sam finally snapped and looked around, calming down. The men that were standing around have made no move to do anything which was just too weird.

"What did you do? What did you do to this town?" Sam demanded.

Jessica turned away from Sam and looked to Dean, who still laid unconscious on the ground. She checked his pulse just like Sam had a few minutes ago and was pleased to find a strong beat. She kneeled in the mud, bringing Dean's face to rest on her leg as Sam continued to talk with Lucifer.

"Now would be a great time to wake up bro." Jess whispered to the unconscious man.

"Oh, I was very generous with this town. One demon for every able-bodied man."

"And the rest of them?"

"In there," Satan said and pointed at the hole. "I know, it's awful, but these horsemen are so demanding. So it was women and children first. I know what you must think of me, Sam. But I have to do this. I have to. You of all people should understand."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked.

"I was a son. A brother, like you, a younger brother, and I had an older brother who I loved. Idolized, in fact. And one day I went to him and I begged him to stand with me, and Michael—Michael turned on me. Called me a freak. A monster. And then he beat me down. All because I was different. Because I had a mind of my own. Tell me something, Sam. Any of this sound familiar? We're the same." Lucifer told Sam.

"No."

"Look, Sam, if you say yes, then I won't have to hurt Jessica over there. You can have her, I won't harm a hair on her head lovely little head. Just something to think about. Now you'll have to excuse me. Midnight is calling and I have a ritual to finish. Don't go anywhere. Not that you could if you would."

Jess squinted, Lucifer must really want Sam to say yes to him if he was promising anything at all. She was surprised that they hadn't been immediately killed when they arrived. Maybe it was all a ploy though. The devil was known for lying.

Jess saw Sam backing up towards her and Dean and caught him around the shoulder as Dean started to stir on the ground beside her.

"You okay?" Sam asked and she nodded, both of them turning to Dean.

"Well, he'll live. Sam what he said-" Jess started but a loud chant started.

_"We offer up our lives, blood, souls, to complete this tribute."_ All the demons around them chant, then they all fall over dead into the grave. The trio looked over at the men.

"What? They're just demons." He said with a smile as he looked at their shocked faces.

Lucifer looked out at the mass grave as they all looked at his vessel. Jessica helped Dean into a standing position as she felt a rush of air by her ear. Cas. He held a finger to his lips and the next thing they knew they were back at the Impala.

Jessica sucked in the leathery air of the Impala's interior, she was sitting beside Cas who was making sure they were all alright. The angel looked down at her hardware store clothing, more importantly where the blood had started to seep through.

Without saying anything, Castiel touched her forehead, and immediately the pain was gone in her head. The throbbing in her arm was also gone and she felt light. She silently thanked the angel and leaned her head down onto his trenchcoated shoulder.

He didn't protest.

• • • • • •

It was a long drive back, but it always felt that way after a long day with the boys. Cas explained to Dean how he got trapped and how Lucifer had offered Cas a place at his side but he had refused. Sam was the one to tell Cas everything that happened with Meg, Ellen, and Jo.

The salvage yard was quiet when they pulled up but Bobby's study lights were on. They met him at the door. Jessica felt beat but she pushed herself into the house and over to the kitchen, making herself eat some leftovers.

Sam and Dean had holed up in the study and very carefully explained exactly what had happened. Bobby of course didn't say much but they all knew once he heard of Jo and Ellen he was just as shaken as they were.

Castiel kept her company as she ate and glanced around the kitchen. She said nothing. He said nothing.

Because yet again...there was nothing to say.

The day previous everyone was happy, having a good time, and now. She sighed as she saw the shot glasses on the table. She'd have to clean them up so Bobby didn't have to.

_"Just received an update that the governor has declared a state of emergency for Paulding County, including the towns of Marion, Fetterville, and Carthage. The storm system has reportedly touched off a number of tornadoes in the area."_

The anchor droned on and Jess clicked off the television, not really up for a reminder of a mission failed.

No one needed a reminder of what happened. She looked over to see the brothers and Bobby by the fireplace. Jessica made her way over to see Bobby was holding up the photo they'd all taken. She quickly saw Jo and Ellen before it moved from her vantage point. 

"Bobby wait," Jessica said, but it was already too late.

The picture floated down into the flames and burst into ash as the fire licked it up. Jess had half a mind to try and grab it but she knew the attempt would be futile.

"No one was smiling anyway." He said and wheeled off to who knows where.

• • • • • •

She kept to herself for the rest of the night. Jess knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep nor did she want to. Bobby was somewhere in the house and the boys were outside doing who knew what. They were all grieving in their own ways but Jess didn't know what to feel. 

She had just met Jo and Ellen, barely gotten to know them and they were ripped away from her. Technically they weren't hers because she didn't know them not like the boys and Bobby had, but she was learning that that's how hunters were. A found family through and through.

"Jess," She heard her name and looked up from her unopened book to see Sam standing in the doorway of the study. "That seat taken?" He asked and pointed to the couch she was sat on. She shook her head and moved over to make room for him. 

"Stupid question I know but is Dean okay?" She asked as she sat the book aside. She knew she'd probably not get an actual answer but it wouldn't hurt to ask. 

"He's being Dean about it. I wanted to check on you actually. How're you holding up."

"Okay, I guess," Jess said but was it true? She sighed. "Actually I feel like we could've done something. Maybe I should've stayed with them instead of going to the Police station with you guys. Maybe then Cas wouldn't have gotten caught. We could've been more prepared for that Meg lady."

"You can't do that Jess. Think about what you would have done...it won't do anything to change what happened." He said with one of his signature pensive look. You could tell he was thinking the same stuff. 

"Thanks for checking in Sam. Means a lot and if you ever need to talk...well I'm a great listener." She told him, offering the invitation so as to get across that they weren't alone in all this.

"I'll keep it in mind Jess really," Sam gave her a small side hug. Maybe it was too painful now for him...and that was okay.


	19. Sam, Interrupted

"So once more just so I understand," Jess said as she leaned against the bench seat in the Impala.

"We're checking into the looney bin," Dean said like it was so simple, except it wasn't. It never was with these two.

Jessica nodded slowly, confusion still filling her face. "Right."

"And Sam already got you a job at the joint." He continued.

"As a janitor," Jess stated and squinted her eyes. She didn't mind cleaning but still.

"They didn't have anything else." Dean amended.

'Sure they didn't.' Jessica thought and rolled her eyes.

**(One Day Later)**

Working as a janitor was tough work. Working as a janitor was even tougher in a psychiatric Hospital.

Jessica had only been working for a few hours on her first day when clearly there was a problem. All the other janitors didn't take too kindly to her but it made sense. She was new and young and quite frankly she seemed to be better at their job than they were.

She swept and mopped and dusted and did it all without complaint. She cleaned up puke and torn up paper in the patient lounge and even made sure the nurse's station was tidy.

Jess heard them talk about her behind her back in the break room. How she was sucking up to everyone there in the hospital but in reality, she hadn't even talked to one nurse while she was there. And although cleaning up puke was very gross...even that got her closer to befriending the nurses. Pro tip: If you ever have to go undercover in a psych institution, it'll do you well to figure out what's going from the nursing staff as they love their gossip.

Plus the nurses at Glenwood kept a lot of papers just lying around so it was kinda easy for Jessica to steal patient information at the end of the day as she cleaned.

For the most part, she ignored the other janitors and let them pretend they were all still in high school or something. She could deal with the hushed whispers and even the name-calling. What she couldn't deal with was more innocent people dying.

This was their first case since everything had gone down in Carthage. Since Jo and Ellen had died and they were all still recovering. Of course, Jess learned that it was the hunter's way to never mention the people you lost, but it still hurt.

She hadn't known the Harvelle's that long but they had indeed made an impression on her, they had become family just like Sam and Dean had.

Jess desperately wanted to talk about everything that had happened...but Dean wasn't about feelings and Sam hadn't seemed to budge when she'd cornered him a few days ago. And it wasn't like she was gonna call, Bobby. She didn't know exactly where Cas was but maybe he'd be willing to talk to her.

One of Sam and Dean's dad's hunting buddies Martin was in a state hospital in Oklahoma where he had a lead on something and needed some help, so a few days after everything the trio packed up and headed South. Martin had been a little loose on the details but Sam had told her he was getting up there in age and was past his prime.

Cleaning in the patient's lounge was the most important part of the day. Various patients came in and out if the large room throughout the day and that meant a lot of cleaning. Jessica agreed she would leave a note for Dean and Sam by the patient's recommended book corner if she got any information.

Dean or Sam would have to find the note each day, then they'd create a new note and place it secretly and stealthy back in the book corner. At the end of her shift, she'd find it, take the note and head out.

Jess had elected to just stay in the Impala while the brothers stayed in the hospital. It was cold and her blanket barely covered her whole body but she felt weird as well as helpless driving each day to a motel and leaving the boys alone. It didn't seem like a good idea to stray too far. 

To be honest, she didn't sleep much. Rachel, Ellen, Jo, and the various monsters they'd faced since she'd met the boys and kept her up at night so she went over the case and wrote out everything they learned so far. The information given to them by Martin, an eccentric hunter that had known the boy's father, had said there had been five deaths in the last four months.

The hospital had ruled the deaths as suicides, but five deaths within four months hardly seemed like the normal quota.

She had left Bobby a few messages throughout the day during her lunch break and her 'smoke break' in which she sat outside and did anything but smoke. Oklahoma seemed pretty chilly but it was beautiful.

The other janitors were basically nowhere in sight so Jess took this time to walk the grounds and look for clues. There was a whole lawn care team dedicated to making sure the grounds were spotless. They usually came every few days so as Jess took her walk, she realized that the lawn team hadn't taken care of the east side of the building.

There were all sorts of trash, candy wrappers, and coffee cups, cigarette butts, and...

Jessica narrowed her eyes and leaned down.

'A shoe?' She thought and grabbed a pen from her janitor's uniform and poked the shoe.

The shoe flipped over and she saw a smear of blood on the sole.

"Yikes."

Jessica straightened up and looked around for anything else covered in blood...but there was nothing. It was odd. It had been a while since the last murder so Jessica wondered who's shoe that had been?

• • • • • • 

Her shift was almost over.

One of the patients earlier in the day had taken all the paint from craft time and decided to paint the hallway walls and of course, only Jessica could clean it up. In fact, all the other janitors had conveniently gone home.

She's busy scrubbing a wall covered in purple when someone bumped her from behind on the shoulder. She jumped lightly and spun to see who had snuck up on her and then grinned when she saw Dean.

"Hey."

"I take it craft time didn't go so well today?" He asked.

"You could say that," Jessica said and offered him a rag which he took but made no move to clean the wall.

"You seen Sam?"

Jessica shook her head but then looked around the hall, easily finding Sam. She smiled and then pointed over Dean's shoulder.

Dean sighed in relief, grabbed Jess's hand, and met Sam at the end of the hall.

"Tell us you found something?" Dean asked his brother.

Sam looked them over and then nodded. "Yeah. A guy says he saw the creature. We should talk to him. You wanna meet here in an hour?"

"Yeah, sooner we take care of this thing, sooner we can get gone. This place gives me the creeps." Dean admitted.

"I'm in agreement," Jess said.

Dean turned around to go, his hand still in Jess's but he stopped suddenly. Jess opened her mouth to protest but then Dean's face scrunched up for a moment or so.

"Hi...Uh-huh." Dean said to no one.

"Who are you talking to?" Jessica asked.

Dean doesn't answer though, but he does send them both a smirk. "Maybe this place isn't so bad after all."

"Dude...you cannot hit that," Sam told him and pointed down the hall at nothing.

"What is he hitting?" Jessica asked but yet again she was ignored.

"Oh, so torn," Dean said with a smirk.

She waved a hand at the brothers but Sam and Dean walked off leaving Jessica and her cleaning cart. "No one was even there. This place is gonna make them go crazy isn't it?" She grumbled and went back to scrubbing the painted wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter today. Happy Holidays everyone!


	20. Loony Tunes

**Sam Interrupted Continued**

"This is not a good idea. I could get fired!" Jessica whispered yelled at Sam as they crept down the hall.

"You don't even work here." Dean fired.

"Yes I do. I clean up puke with a smile on my face, I wash everyone's bed linens, I scrubbed a freakin wall the other day. I work here just as much as those lazy janitors who literally do nothing all day." Jessica ranted, her voice rising slightly.

Sam turned abruptly to the two bickerings. "Will you two just shut it. Once we get out of here you can argue all you want."

Jessica facepalmed, about to say her piece but conveniently a scream erupted from somewhere down the hall. The trio all rush toward the screaming. It so happened to be the room they were going to.

Sam got to work, picking the lock as Dean looked through the door's window. Ted, the man who Sam had told them about earlier was currently hanging from the ceiling, struggling to get free.

"Hurry up! Come on, hurry up!" Dean told his brother.

Sam, who was kneeling on the ground to see the lock momentarily stopped to look at his brother, "Back off, Dean!"

Jessica grabbed Dean's shoulder, cutting off the stupid staring match. Sam went back to lock picking and she sent up a prayer that they'd get the door open in time.

Once Sam jiggled the tumblers and the lock springs, the brothers forced their way into the room but it was too late.

Ted was no longer struggling where he was hanging.

• • • • • • 

It's not until the next afternoon that they can make it into the morgue without being detected. Jessica had been on garbage detail all morning and hadn't met with the Winchesters in the lounge like they normally did.

This job should have been an easy one. Two days at the max, but they were going into their fifth day and they were all restless. They didn't know what they were hunting and it became very apparent to Jess that the monster that was doing this had to be an apex predator and very good at what they were doing.

Disguising the deaths as suicides alone was a smart move and made it all the harder to pinpoint when the creature would mess up.

Jessica had checked her phone last night when she made it back to the impala. Bobby had left her a message but it wasn't about the case. It was only the drunkard's grumblings but regardless, she texted him the new details they'd found and said the next step was to examine Ted, the poor sixth victim who was currently in the morgue. He technically was the only one she could throw ideas at while the brothers were locked up in the crazy house.

She had concluded it wasn't a vampire or a ghost...though that was pretty much common sense at this point. And no one's hearts had been taken from their bodies so that checked off werewolf. There many other possibilities on what the creature could be and though Jess had read as many books from Bobby's lore reserves as she could...she knew there was stuff that she just didn't know.

Jessica told the boys she'd keep watch as they went in and examined Ted. It was easier for her to do this because if anyone walked by, she could just pretend to be cleaning.

Five minutes after the brothers left through the swing doors, Dean's face popped back up through the little window. Jessica mopped her way over and mouthed to him, ' _What are you doing?_ '

Dean rolled his eyes and mouthed, ' _Sam's playing detective with the warts._ '

The would-be janitor frowned and then glanced down both sides of the hall before pushing the door open slightly and then saying, "Did you say warts? Why is he messing with warts?"

She heard something shuffling and then Dean appeared in front of her through the small crack.

"Corpse, Jess....the corpse!" He said incredulously.

"Oh! Right." She said and then let the door swing closed quickly, moving back a few feet and continuing to mop.

A smack was heard by her ears and Jess brought her eyes up to find Dean, back at the window glaring at her. She just threw him a wink and got back to mopping and keeping watch in the hall.

So far it had been a quiet night. Most of the nurses were gone for the night which was strange seeing as Ted had been murdered the night before...except no one knew that save for the trio and the murderer.

Down the hall, a door opened. Jessica quickly rapped on the morgue door before throwing her headphones over her ears and turning her back from the door, pushing the mop across the floor. After a few seconds, she turned to see a nurse; the one that was always happy, chirpy, and acted as she'd just come from a pep rally. She averted her eyes hoping to avoid talking with the woman but clearly, the nurse had other plans.

"Slow night?" She asked.

Jessica removed her headphones, "I'm sorry what?"

The nurse gestured down the hall. "Doesn't seem to be much going on today."

Jessica followed her hand and she shook her head. 'Better to play it dumbish.' "Yeah...just doing my job."

The woman looked at her for a second, seemingly interested until a noise could be heard from the morgue.

Jessica put her headphones back on taking a few steps backward, mop in hand. There is literally nothing she can do to stall anymore so hopefully, Sam and Dean have cleaned up their mess.

She can hear the woman's shoes squeak, probably turning back to address her but Jess is already halfway down the hall.

The next day, Sam, Dean, and Martin are all gathered around some paintings. Jess found them easily and dusted a shelf a few feet away as they talked.

"Are those original Gacy's?" He asked with a chuckle

Martin just stared at the clowns, "I painted those Dean."

Jessica tried and failed to not bust out laughing. Fortunately, the guard on duty was too preoccupied flirting with the nurse behind the desk in the far corner and paid them no mind.

Sam sent her a glare, "Back on point, please. Um...so, whatever this thing is...it Slurpees your brain, sucks you dry."

"Great." Jess grumbled watching the guard before coming closer.

"Yeah, then it makes the deaths look like suicides," Dean added. "Any ideas?"

Martin tore his face away from the clowns and looked at them. "Yeah. A bad one."

They all go back to Martin's room to look at some drawing Martin has in a notebook. Martin's room was a mess of color and paper and paint. Jess could see half-painted works and crumbled up paper all over the room depicting all sorts of scenes, mostly landscapes, and clowns. She instantly felt for Sam who was also zeroing in on all the clowns with a frown on his face.

"What is it?" Dean asked Martin. They needed to know what they were going up against.

"Well, I bet you a chicken dinner it's what we're up against...a wraith. They crack open skulls and feed on brain juice." Martin said.

Sam tried not to look at the clown, "You ever tangle with one before?"

"Never. Never wanted to, neither."

Jessica looked around Martin's room. It was mainly bare except for the essentials. She sat down in his chair near the window and looked out. No one was outside but Martin had a nice view of some trees.

"So, how do we kill it?" Came Dean's voice from across the room.

"Silver. You so much as touch a wraith with the stuff, and the skin will crackle. Now, that's the good news. The bad news is...they can pass as humans."

"So we're hunting a wraith. Awesome." Jess said.

"Lore says a wraith will show its true form in a mirror." Martin continued.

"Okay, well, we just gotta spot check every patient and every staff member."

Sam leaned on the chair near Jess and nodded at Dean's plan, "Okay. Yeah. But--I mean, what's it doing in a mental hospital?"

"A nuthouse; it's-it's-it's a perfect captive victim pool."

"No one seems to literally care what is going on around here." Jessica piped up and shoved her phone back in her coveralls.

Martin nodded at both Dean and Jess "Exactly and who's gonna believe a patient when they say they saw a monster? It's the perfect hunting ground."

Sam locked eyes with Jess. "Think you could get us some silver?"

"Sure thing."


	21. We Need to Go

**Sam Interrupted Continued**

A few hours later, Jessica with her broom in hand 'bumped' into Sam. While no one is paying them any mind, she quickly handed him a wrapped up parcel. It was nothing fancy, just a few napkins she'd taken from the nurse's station to conceal the silver scalpels.

"Here. It took a while but I'm pretty sure the head janitor here is a kleptomaniac." She said and handed over the parcel to Sam.

"Thanks, Jessie."She sent him a smile as Dean and Martin came around the corner.

"Oh, no, no, no. Not today, sweetheart. Come on, keep walking. I..." Dean said and Jess looked at him. Was he talking to her? She looked behind her to check but didn't see any other females.

"Dean?" She asked and then saw Sam making an odd face beside his brother.

"Hm." He said and shrugged. "You've had worse."

"Are you two sure you aren't actually crazy?" Jessica asked them.

Dean just shot her a look but before he could ask what she was going on about Sam interrupted their staring match.

"Fuller is on call tonight, so we'll have to hit him after lights out. All three of us." Sam said to them.

"What! I'm coming with!" Jess stated.

Dean rounded on her. "No, we need you out of this just in case it goes sideways. You're not a patient here...if they catch you with us, they'll commit you too and then there will be no getting out of here." He reasoned. Jess scoffed, they could all easily break out of this place because security was so lax.

Jessica stared them all down. She didn't want to leave them. She wanted to be right there when they took the doctor down. And more importantly, she wanted to defend herself. She was new to hunting but that didn't make her incapable of doing exactly what Sam and Dean every day but it seemed like Sam was also in agreement with Dean.

She glared at Sam who didn't even budge. Jessica huffed out and dropped her eyes to the floor.

"Fine! Just don't get killed." She said before walking down the hall.

She could hear them calling after her but her pride wouldn't let her turn back around and march back down the hall and demand to join them. For once, her stupid pride kept her safe.

Besides, she guessed she had bathrooms to clean.

• • • • • • 

Dr. Fuller was not in fact, the wraith.

Jessica had left that night, fully hoping Sam and Dean to meet her at the car whenever they were done ganking but they never showed.

She cursed them for hours, talking to no one but herself on how stupid they could be. She barely got any sleep worrying not only about the brothers but also about Martin. She made the decision that morning after a very fitful rest in the back of Baby that she was gonna take some means of protection with her...mainly a gun filled with silver bullets.

She wasn't sure if it would kill the wraith but perhaps it would slow the thing down.

Fortunately, the Glenwood Springs facility was pretty lax and it seemed like they didn't get as much funding like hospitals in larger cities so they had little stake in security features save the few cameras outside the building.

This seemed like a large security risk to Jess, considering there had been six deaths now but Dr. Fuller was a psychiatrist, not the police or some security team leader. And she truly believed he only thought they were suicides. Still, why hadn't some higher up been contacted by now?

Jessica was in the process of carrying the trash cans back to every room when she saw Sam throwing a fit in the patient lounge.

"No! Stop it! Leave me alone! Leave me alone! I didn't do it! Get off of me!" Sam yelled out, fighting nothing.

No one seemed to care about Sam or his fists flying out. Jessica dropped the trashcans and booked it over to him, swinging out of the way when Sam's fists came real close to her head.

"Sam. Hey. Dude." She tried to grab his arm, but he just shoved her off.

"Stop! Please stop...please please please." Sam cried out, folding in on himself.

Jess tried to go to him again, calmer this time. "Hey there Sammy...it's alright." She soothed.

Sam stopped fidgeting, finally turning to look at Jess. His face was full of tears and he looked like he hadn't slept a wink. She sent him a smile, to let him know everything was gonna be alright.

"Jess?"

"Hey there Samsquatch."

The orderlies deem it safe enough to make an appearance. Sam jumped when they forced their way over and dragged him up and away from Jess.

Jessica stood quickly blocking the men from leaving straight away, "Hey, he's fine now."

They both roll their eyes as Sam struggled to get away, he even shot a hand out to grab Jess. She took Sam's hand in hers and said "He doesn't wanna go."

"What do you know? You're just a janitor." One of the meaty orderlies said and continued to drag Sam off, her hand abruptly pulled from his.

"Leave me alone! Get off! Jess! No! Leave me alone!" Sam screeched, trying desperately to get back to Jess but it's no use. He's out of sight down the hall in seconds and Jessica couldn't do anything about it.

• • • • • • 

Jessica was restocking her cleaning supplies when she overheard some of the janitorial staff talking in the break room.

Technically they should shut the door if they were gonna gossip about the patients, but for once Jess was glad they messed up because she could hear everything they were saying.

"You see that one patient today...one with long hair?"

"Yeah...poor sucker. That one girl...new janitor, saw her trying to help him but he seemed to really be losing it. Talking to no one..."

"Yeah...I was like that when I first started. Learned real quick it's better to leave them be."

A third guy spoke over his munching. "Heard him...he was going on and on about someone named Lucifer."

"Like the devil? He's got it bad then."

"Don't I know it. My great grandpappy always went on and on about stuff like that...demons, monsters. He always told me that he could hear whispers, said one day the demons were coming for him, and others like him whatever that meant. He died in a place like this when I was a kid."

"Sorry man." Another guy said.

"Nah, it's alright. He was crazy."

Jessica frowned at the man's words. She hated this place and that guy had spent a lifetime here then died in a hospital like this. Jess shivered at the thought. 'Poor soul' Jess thought.

It made her think of the boys who for some reason we're going slightly insane. She was more determined to make sure they all got out of here alive.

She left the locker room and whipped out her cell phone to call Bobby. Again it went to voicemail. Either the old man was dead or drunk, she was gonna have to hide the alcohol when they returned.


	22. Are you with me?!

**Sam Interrupted Continued**

Jessica had randomly met Martin in the hall at the end of that day and he actually recognized her...said he needed help finding Dean.

Jess was more than happy to help and most of the nurses that were on shift that evening just assumed they were friends or something and smiled when they walked by the nurse's station.

As soon as they found Dean, he was going on and on about the monster and some woman named Wendy.

"Dean?" Martin asked and Jess looked over at them.

"I can't step on the cracks," Dean told them sheepishly as he moved slowly across the floor.

"Where are we going anyway? Who is Wendy?" Jess asked them, was there another hunter here?

Dean shot her a look. "Seriously. She kissed me and Sam...she's the reason we're going crazy!"

"When did anyone kiss you?"

"Jessica, we were all there...remember the other night?" He asked but Jess was very confused. 

"No Dean...I don't remember jack!"

"Jessica." She heard a voice say and whipped her head around. Jim, one of the senior janitors, was walking down the hallway towards her.

"Uh hi, Jim." She said and looked behind her to see Dean and Martin gone.

"Whatcha doin here?" Jim asked.

"Oh, I forgot my wallet in the break room. Kinda need it to drive so-" Jess deadpanned and looked behind her the way Dean had gone. She was gonna lose him if she didn't get going.

"Alright then. Oh, by the way, Sandra can't come in on Tuesday so you'll be placed in her time slot then."

"Sure, sure," Jess said and looked at her watch, but she knew that she wouldn't be there by Tuesday. Hopefully. "Uh, well I'm heading home. See ya later Jim." She said as quickly as she could and speed-walked down the hallway.

She didn't know exactly where she was headed as she walked down the hall but she figured she'd stumble upon Dean sooner or later. Hopefully, the Wendy person could help them so they could get out of here.

Finding Wendy's room was very easy. Because she was dead. Jessica just so happened to find her via a blood trail.

She took the gun from her waistband, clicked off the safety, and pushed forward into the room, making sure Dean was nowhere in sight. She found nothing and breathed in a sigh of relief before looking at the woman's corpse.

"So you're Wendy? So sorry you had to go through all this." She said and back out of the room.

She had to find Dean, Sam, and Martin...fast.

• • • • • • 

Surprisingly she found the elder Winchester darting out of a nearby door as she was walking down the hall looking for literally anyone. There were no nurses in sight.

Dean slid so fast, he almost fell onto the floor but Jess was there to steady him.

"Hey. Dean? You okay?" Jess asked and clasped her hand over his shoulder. He didn't seem to know she was there. "Dean, hey. Look at me." She tapped him on the face. He blinked a couple of times and seemed to come around.

"Jessica?" He asked and rubbed his eyes.

"Hey. You okay?"

"Ask me that when we get out of here." He said and looked to the floor. Jess followed his gaze but didn't see anything.

"This way," Dean said and pulled Jess down the hallway.

He looks down at the floor to see blood droplets leading down the hallway.

"Where are we going, Dean? Where's Sam?" Jess asked as she looked around.

"They locked him up."

"What!?" She almost yelled as they made their way down the halls, taking a few turns as Dean kept his eyes trained to the floor.

"Here." He said stopping.

Jessica stopped before she ran into him. Apparently, Dean had found the monster and all they knew about it was that silver was the key in taking it out. Jess was kicking herself! She'd promised she'd look into the wraiths but Bobby hadn't called her back.

"Wait, Dean. How-" Before Jess could come up with a plan Dean slammed the door open. She was hot on his heels.

"You get away from him," Dean yelled at a dark-haired lady who was sitting beside Sam.

"Do you really think this is gonna end well for you, kiddo?" The lady said with a smile that didn't comfort Jess at all.

"No," Dean said and with a crazy smile. "But I'm crazy, so, what the hell?"

The nurse raised her hand into the air, something sharp sticking out of her palm.

"What the?" Jess asked as she squinted her eyes. The pointy 'thing' slid back into the wraith's arm.

"Alright, I'm done," Jess said and tried not to throw up.

Dean swung the scalpel at her, but she ducked and threw him into the wall. The wraith started towards Jess but before either of them could get anywhere, Dean tackled the woman to the ground. Jess stepped into the room, quickly glancing at Sam, who was tied up on the smallest cot she'd ever seen.

The next thing Jess knew is that the woman had made 'her' the target once more. The shard almost stabbed her in the eye as Jess landed a square punch.

Deans' hand flashed into her vision as he grabbed the dark-haired nurse by the- Jess was running out of things to call the shard coming out of the wraith's hand.

Dean somehow grabbed the nurse and broke the uni-horn in half as Jess made her way to Sam who was still tied up. She made quick work of the restraints as she caught the nurse lady sliding to the floor after Dean stabbed her in the chest.

"You still crazy?" Sam asked as he rubbed his wrists.

"Not any more than usual." Dean joked but Jess wasn't laughing.

"We gotta get out of here," Dean said.

"You said it, brother," Jess said as she made for the door.

They all book it down the hall and run right into another janitor, the one who has been blabbing and blabbing about Jess all week. His face is pointed when he sees her. "There you are! Been looking for you the past hour!" Then he saw the brothers. "What are they doing out of bed?"

Jessica rolled her eyes and pulled Dean's gun she shoved in her waistband earlier and pointed it at the janitor.

"Get out of our way."

The janitor held his hands up, taking a step back. "Woah...I uh--"

Sam lurched forward and punched the guy straight across the face. He landed on the floor knocked out cold.

"Thanks," Jess said before she jumped over the man and continuing down the hall, the boys right on her heels. The alarm bell rang out echoing like some shrill scream on the hallways.

"Side door." She said and instantly they were outside. They head for the woods near the parking lot where the car was.

"Well, looks like Tom Cruise was right. Shrinks suck." Dean said as we all walked to the Impala.

"Next time you guys can be on sanitation duty," Jess said as she headed to her side of the Impala, itching to go. She wanted a shower and to get the heck out of this town.

"What are you doing? Sam? You okay?" Jess heard Dean ask and she turned toward the brothers. Sam was at the trunk.

"Sam?" She asked.

"The wraith--" Sam started.

"What about her?" Dean asked.

"She was right."

"No, she wasn't. She's dead, okay? Let's hit the road. I need a drink, or twelve." Dean said as he made for the driver's seat. Jess threw him the keys, a frown on her face directed at Sam.

"What do you mean?" Jess asked. She had no clue what they were talking about. What had the wraith said to him?

"Most of the time, I can hide it, but...I _am_ angry. I'm mad at everything. I used to be mad at you and Dad, then Lilith, now it's Lucifer, and I make excuses. I blame Ruby or the demon blood, but it's not their fault. It's not them. It's me. It's inside me. I'm mad...all the time...and I don't know why." Sam said and it took Jess a couple of seconds to hear everything he'd just thrown at them. 

"Woah Sam. I'm sure whatever she said, it was to get a rise out of you." Jess said and placed a hand on his shoulder. Jess knew he was acting a little out of the ordinary but this case wasn't cake and ice cream. She wanted to push everything from the past few days into a corner and set it on fire and never think about it again as well, but it was harder to actually do that.

Sam for the first time in the last few days actually looked like he'd be okay just because Jess had said what she said.

"Stop. Stop it. So what if you are? What are you gonna do? You gonna take a leave of absence? You gonna say yes to Lucifer?" Dean asked.

"No, of course not. I--" Sam started.

"Exactly. And that's exactly what you're gonna do. You're gonna take all that crap and you're gonna bury it-"

"Dean-"

"Jess, you guys have to forget about it, because that's how we keep going! That's how we don't end up like Martin! Are you with me?" Dean asked.

Jess sighed. Not talking couldn't be helpful. They could only keep things inside for so long and Dean was wrong if he thought they should just push Ellen and Jo's memory from their mind. Rachel's memory. She wouldn't do that, not even for Dean.

It was a dangerous game to play, but it was one she was becoming accustomed to.

"Are you with me?"

"I'm with you," Sam said with a nod.

"Jess?" He asked and she reluctantly nodded. Jess spared Sam a glance. There was no way in heck they couldn't talk about any of this but she'd park it for now. She had to.

Dean did that weird 'I'm annoyed and don't wanna talk about it look' and then slung the driver's door open, "Good. Let's get the heck out of here." 

They all slammed their doors and zoomed away. It was literally ten minutes later as they drove down the highway when Jessica spoke up. "Perhaps we should talk about how I couldn't see Wendy...until she was dead of course. I'm pretty sure the wraith didn't infect me...so."

Dean's ever-present glare softened at the girl's admission.

"We'll just add it to the list of things we don't understand and call it a day," Dean suggested and turned the radio on, blaring.

Jessica yelled over the music. "OKAY, THANKS FOR SHOVING MY SUPPOSED TRAUMA OUT THE METAPHORICAL WINDOW!"

Dean turned around, literally turned around in his seat to face her. Sam went into panic mode and grabbed the wheel, his eyes glued to the road. The music's volume was quickly turned down. Jessica watched in wonder as Dean kept his foot on the gas as Sam made sure they weren't gonna crash. She locked eyes with him

"Seriously. Drive your car, Dean." Jessica pouted and then turned away to settle herself down to sleep.

Dean grumbled and then turned back around, shoving Sam's hand off the wheel. Thankfully no one else was driving on the road, they had been perfectly safe...ish.

Jessica took a moment to adjust, throwing her blanket over her lap. Three weeks ago, if Dean would have pulled that stunt; she'd probably be shaking in her boots demanding he stop driving and let her out.

But that was three weeks ago and Jessica wasn't sure if she was even that person anymore. She also wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not? 


	23. Swap Meat

Chloe had heard of the Winchesters and what they did, bringing on the apocalypse, raising Lucifer; you know normal everyday happenings. She knew of the angels' plans to use the brothers as vessels to do their dirty work, but word on the road was they were too hard-headed for that to happen. Quite frankly Chloe was so tired of this bologna. She was tired of the chatter, Crowley's orders, and hearing so much about the hunter brothers that she didn't really give a hoot about.

Everyone knew whose side they were really on. They were on the side of humanity or whatever. To be honest, the brothers were old news and quite boring to her.

Chloe didn't understand why they were dragging a girl along with them. She wasn't even a hunter and had no qualities that could help them, so what was her real reason for tagging along? Why would they bring her on their bro-trip of slaying monsters?

"You leaving yet?" Chloe looked over at the voice. It was a fellow demon named Kurt. He agreed with her on the Winchester thing. He didn't really care. He was more concerned with his status as a crossroads demon...he was actually proud to be doing grunt work and saw it as an opportunity to climb the ladder in their company. 

"Yeah, you coming with? If we leave now we could probably make the 8:00 showing." Kurt smiled while he tied his sneaker.

"Gotta make a deal tonight so... raincheck?" Chloe just nodded before disappearing.

• • • • • •

**(Jess' POV)**

Currently, Jess, Sam, and Dean were in the Impala, back on the road. She had another lore book in her hands trying to take in everything she could.

"Hey, you remember Donna, our baby sitter from Boston?" Sam asked and a knowing smile passed over Dean's face.

"The good looking one?" Sam rolled his eyes at his brother.

"There was only ever one Donna that we both knew that babysat us, Dean."

"No. No Sammy, what about that one girl. Had a weird obsession with teeth or something?" Sam took a sip of his coffee and frowned at Dean.

"That was Darlene...not Donna." Both of the brothers look relieved.

"Oh, anyway Donna, babysitter, what about her." Sam looked back and, Jess. She smiled at him and looked back at her book.

"She called Dad's old cell. Said she's got a ghost problem, wants us to check it out. I already said yes." Sam told his brother.

"To Boston then," Jess said.

After the quite short drive, Sam and Dean had told Jessica to stay with Cas while they went to talk to Donna. As soon as they left Castiel started his questions.

"You seem down. Is there any way I can help?" Jess scooted closer to Cas which startled the angel at first, but he soon forgot his worry when Jessica started speaking.

"I'm not sure why but I think I have a bad feeling." Cas nodded. Jess saw him open his mouth to ask something else but he looked upwards like someone else was talking to him.

"I have to go, be careful. Stay away from the other angels." Before Jess could get a word out Cas was gone and she was confused. Why would she need to stay away from the other angels? Did he not trust them or something?

• • • • • •

After visiting Donna, Dean and Sam decided it was lunchtime. As soon as they stepped into the diner, Jess had a strange feeling while in the diner and all she wanted to do was leave for the comfort of the Impala, which was proving quite a unique type of home.

Dean was currently at the counter grabbing their food when she made eye contact with one of the workers of the store. He couldn't have been more than 17 or so. The weird thing was, it was like he couldn't stop staring at her and it was quite off-putting. She's snapped out of it when Dean returned.

"Here we go," Dean said and sat the food down. Jess had opted for a tuna melt with a side of chips and it was delicious. Sam had gotten a salad in a cup that he was shaking and Dean had opted for his normal burger and fries.

"What?"

"Oh, you shake it up, baby," Dean said and Jess laughed around her sandwich. They started talking about Donna's family and Jess got up to get some napkins which meant she had to go to the front counter where the kid was still standing. She'd forgotten about him.

"Uh, hi. I needed some napkins."

"What, oh, oh, yeah. Here ya go." The boy said, spun around, grabbed them, and placed them on the counter in front of Jess.

"Thanks," Jess said and gave him a polite smile and quickly went back to the table. When she sat down she made eye contact with the kid once more. 'Why is he still staring?' She thought and ducked her head to eat.

"Okay, so an angry ghost witch." Said Dean, which caught her attention. She looked at the computer Sam had turned around towards them. The name Maggie Briggs was displayed.

"If it's true. Still doesn't explain what murdered child means."

"What if she was pregnant?" asked Jess.

"Could be, hard to tell. Still need to figure out where she's buried too." Dean said.

"Right," Sam said and Jess saw the article in front of them catching the date 1720.

"That's quite a long time ago," Jess said and took a sip from her drink. History was something that always piqued Jess's interest all throughout school and it seemed to stick better than other subjects.

"Uh, yeah," Dean said in a sarcastic tone.

"I mean, like the witch trials. They happened all over not just in Salem." Jess said. If this Maggie Briggs was murdered then witchiness would be motive enough.

"I can see if there's anything in the town records." That most likely meant going to the library.

"It's worth a shot."

Twenty minutes later when they were leaving, Dean asked where Sam had disappeared too. "He said something about leaving for the library?" 

"Yeah, while you were buying that pie, he got fed up because you were flirting with that waitress and left. Told me to stay with you." Jess pouted, she had wanted to go to the library but also felt bad about leaving Dean.

"Alrighty, ready to go."

Jessica nodded her head but the look on her face betrayed her.

"What?" He asked as they walked to the impala.

"I have a feeling... it's probably nothing though." Dean looked over at her from where he was seated in the Impala. He seemed to be studying her almost, watching for a negative reaction. 

"No, no, seriously I wanna know. If you've got a feeling something's going on then tell me, Jess." The girl slumped in her seat, clearly embarrassed by the older Winchester. What Cas had said about not trusting other angels still didn't make sense to her. They were his brothers and sisters, and the warning was throwing Jess off.

"I just got a weird vibe at that diner is all."

"What kind of vibe?" He asked and Jessica shifted her weight and started to fidget with her hands. She'd keep the warning from Cas on the back burner for now until they actually had a minute to talk about it.

"The guy who took our order was strange. He kept looking in our direction." Dean chuckled as he played with a bottle cap.

"Jess look. When a man sees a lady who is indeed very beautiful, it's only natural that he would look at the said lady." Dean sent a grin her way which left Jessica confused.

"Uh Dean, this kid was a high school student and he was looking at-" Dean's phone rang before she could finish.

"Sam, what now?" Jess could hear Sam's muffled voice over the phone. He hadn't found anything so he was coming back to the motel to sleep until they could do some real investigating tomorrow. 

• • • • • •

**(Gary's POV)**

Gary Frankle had an okay life. He didn't exactly care for the life plan his dad had for him. He was more than content to follow the instructions from the demon he and his friend had been talking to. 

'Be on the lookout for Sam Winchester.'

So he was totally fine with swapping his body with that tall long-haired guy. He didn't exactly care for the shorter one who was eating that burger like it was his last. The girl that was eating with them was beautiful, very beautiful. She had a deep look in her eye; maybe she was shy. Gary wondered what she was doing with them and couldn't help but wonder what she was like. 

"Gary! Those burgers ain't gonna cook themselves!" The boy turned with a grimace on his face. He was worth so much more than this life- or whatever this was.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

"What's taking him so long?" She said as she put the last of the weapons in the duffle. The tv was busted and she was so bored, she had cleaned some of the boys' guns and knives while they waited for Sam to return.

"Not sure."

"But Dean it's been like over an hour." They both huffed. Jessica picked at some non-existent lint before looking at Dean for what was like the 20th time.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Dean who was messing with the static TV set glanced over quickly.

"What's up Kiddo?" The hunter asked.

"Well, before Cas left he told me to stay away from other angels... What do you think he meant by that?" Dean sighed.

"Cas hasn't really been in good standing with his brothers and neither have we to be honest. He's probably just warning you as a precaution. You should know that most of the angels I've met aren't exactly how they're pictured in the movies." There is silence and it was awkward. 

"How so?" She wanted to learn more about them as she'd grown up hearing stories about them.

"Well for one they can be complete junkless asses." He told her. "They don't care about anything but themselves and whatever agenda they've got under their wings."

"Oh...I always assumed they were just chillin' in heaven and like watching over us...you know." Jess confessed. Dean stared at her with a knowing look in his eye and then stood up, the TV forgotten.

"You wanna go for a drive, I could do with some pie?" He asked, changing the subject. 

Jessica jumped for joy when Dean posed the question. Grabbing her jacket she rushed out of the motel and got into the passenger seat. 


	24. A Demon's Importance

**(Swap Meat Continued- Chloe's POV)**

Chloe watched Jessica Coleman run to the Impala, Dean Winchester following closely behind her. Chloe couldn't understand for the life... or afterlife... of her why she was watching these two. She hated anything that had to do with those boys but that girl was strange.

She smiled sadly at the Winchester.

The Demon followed as they slowly drove. She wondered where Hell's supposed leader was?

She didn't think of Sam Winchester as the demon's supposed leader but as an abomination. Sam had been a pipe dream of Azazel's, a pipe dream that had never come to fruition. All that potential, thrown away. And at some point, Crowley had taken over. Still, she solely believed that all demonkind would be better off with the Easter Bunny, but she'd settle for Crowley. Even from only observing Sam when she had to chance, it was blatantly obvious that the younger brother was anything but evil.

Word around was, some demons were after the younger brother because he brought back 'ole Luci, and being the awesome, crossroads demon that she was, she couldn't care less.

The demon heard a gust of wind or the ruffle of wings which made her fall into a defensive stance. Chloe whipped her head around to come face to face with a member of the God Squad himself. She looked up into the brilliant, blue orbs that were a part of the angel's meat suit and frowned.

"Seriously! An angel. Look, bro, I was just taking a gander." Blue eyes looked slightly confused.

"Poor baby." She said sarcastically, "I wasn't gonna hurt the Losechesters okay. Not all of us are coo-coo for CocoPuffs you can back off." Even though the demon had explained herself, she remained in her defensive stance just in case the angel decided to play hardball.

The angel tilted his head awkwardly to the left as if the comment flew right over his head.

"You misunderstand, I'm not here to hurt you." Blue eyes said.

"Could've fooled me." She said and gestured to the cloud of dust the angels' wings had kicked up from the ground under her feet then dusted her pants off.

"I apologize." He said stiffly. 

'Hmm something was definitely up.' She thought. 'An angel just didn't apologize to a demon...it just wasn't how things were.'

Chloe rolled her eyes and faced the celestial being head on, "Okay if you're not here to terminate me then why are you bothering with a little 'ole crossroads demon like myself?" The angel blinked and took a step closer.

"Because there is work for you Chloe Bennet."

"Work? For me? Puh-lease! What do you really want with me?" Castiel took another step forward. She might not have exactly believed the angel but she was curious. 

"I'm here to help."

"With what!?" Chloe sneered. "You have heard of my brother, right? If he finds out I'm facetiming heaven, he's gonna get angry."

The angel looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"You _are_ important, Chloe, to heaven."

Chloe watched him and noticed he had dodged her question about her brother but she schooled her features, "Pssh. Yeah right! I'm not important honey. Not to Heaven. Not to Hell. I'm no one." Cas took another step toward her.

"I know you work for Crowley but the prophecy states that you will help the Winchesters drive Lucifer back to Hell. Despite any reservations you may have, it is the right thing to do. Lucifer will rain havoc down on the Earth if we don't stop him."

Chloe took a step backward, to bring distance in between them, "There is no _we_ , blue eyes," She said and gestured between them. "I'm not interested in prophecy or in Lucifer or saving the world or whatever you and your brothers are calling it these days. My deal is almost up, so there's no way I'm gonna help you on a suicide mission. Destiny be damned." Chloe turned abruptly walking away from the angel.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

"Thanks for the pie, Dean, I was bored to be honest." The Winchester smiled again.

"Hey It's important to relax and sometimes we play the waiting game. One time our Dad spent a whole month on a case." He said as they both walked to the door as Dean fished for the room key.

"Wow, that's a long time. I bet that one was hard on him." She said as they went through the door to see Sam flexing his muscles. Jess thought that was odd.

"Where have you been dude?" Dean asked his brother but Sam continued to flex his muscles and completely ignore them.

"H- Hey..." Jess snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Hello, Earth to Sam!" Jess saw him cough a few times before he smiled.

"Hey sorry. I was getting some food. Bacon cheese turbo, chili cheese fry, right?" Sam said and gave Dean the bag. Dean rolled his eyes in annoyance as Jess chuckled and flopped on one of the beds. It wasn't the comfiest but it was better than the floor, couch, or even the Impala with its leather.

"If we would've known you were gonna be back so soon I would've brought you some pie, Sam," Jess said but Sam's nose crinkled at the words.

"Uh, sorry I just lost track of time, didn't mean to freak you out," Sam said.

"Thanks, don't know why it took you two hours, but, thanks," Dean said and went through the bag of food. Jessica saw that Dean looked pleased with the burritos.

"We just ate Dean!" Jess exclaimed. It was as if the older brother was a never-ending pit.

"What? Pie and actual food are totally different," he said and she rolled her eyes.

"You're gonna want to eat that on the road." Sam said, "So...uh...yeah, we gotta go!"

Dean looked toward his brother and questioned him as to why? Sam pointed to some weapons that were lying on the bed.

"The maid came in and saw. She got freaked and ran out." Jess sat up and looked at the bed. 'Hadn't she put those away earlier?' She could've sworn so.

"Why'd you let her in?" 

Sam shrugged, "Sorry I wasn't thinking." 

Dean groaned and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Jess and Sam alone. Jess watched him stare at her before asking if he was okay. He stuttered out a response which further made Jess worried.

"Sam why are you so... I don't know... I mean I've only known you for a few weeks or so, but you usually seem so reserved?" Jess questioned. Sam looked down and blushed. "But now...your not, did something happen? Did you have another nightmare?"

"Well, uh Yeah." Jess frowned when Sam moved away from her, stuffing fries in his mouth.

"You know if you wanna talk I'm here Sammy." She said and then grabbed up the weapons again to stow them away. Dean made his way over to the bags after he exited the bathroom.

Sam's response was strange but she shouldn't just come out and say that without getting a lecture on feelings from Dean so she momentarily put aside that she should talk to Sam later...when Dean was more preoccupied. 

"Okay let's hit it." Sam blinked.

"Hit what?" Jess rolled her eyes at Sam's question and grabbed Sam's arm.

"He means let's go! Gosh Sam, how much sleep have you been getting?"

Dean was fiddling with his phone, probably calling Castiel while Jess sprawled out in the backseat. She thought she saw Sam messing around with the dumpster but Jessica just blamed it on sleep deprivation and picked up one of her books.

When both of the brothers finally got to the Impala, Sam asked if he could drive.

Jessica hadn't known Dean long but he didn't seem like the type of guy who would let just anyone drive his Baby, and Jessica was sure that the brothers had a good relationship, but Sam driving? Dean wouldn't...

Jess sat up, watching the brothers trade places. Sam seemed really excited, but as he goes to pull away Dean exclaims.

"Reverse..... Reverse!" Sam kept driving backward, right into the dumpster he was standing by earlier.

Sam hit the brakes too late causing Jess, who hadn't put her seat belt on jerked forward into Dean's shoulder blade.

"It's in reverse," Dean said with a seething tone.

Dean checked to make sure she was okay before getting out of the car.

When Sam got back in the passenger seat he flashed a sad smile in apology but she just frowned at him. The smile struck Jessica as odd because he usually was tripping over himself saying sorry. It was strange that he wasn't. It was also strange that he had forgotten how to drive the car.

"Car okay?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, no scratches," Dean said and pulled out of the parking lot.

• • • • • •

**(Chloe's POV)**

Chloe stepped out from the dumpster and peered inside. She had seen the young Winchester throw something away earlier in a very suspicious -like manner. She reached inside to pull out multiple cellular phones and looked up watching the Impala take off down the road. 'Why would he throw the only cell phones away in the middle of the night?' 

It didn't make sense why Sam had done the things he'd done...the demon would have to tell the Jessica girl the next she saw her seeing as her phone was now in Chloe's palm. The demon couldn't very well tell either of the brothers, they'd somehow sniff out that she was a demon, and no matter what the angel in the trench coat said about some prophecy, she'd be dead before getting the chance to explain.

• • • • • •

**[The Next Day-Sam's POV]**

Sam was angry. Sure he understood that the demons would come after him so that they could present him to Lucifer on a silver platter. What he didn't understand was why this punk Gary switched bodies with him. It didn't make a lick of sense at all?

'Stop it, you sound like Bobby!' Sam scolded himself.

It was strange. Gary _was_ strange. Sam rooted through his room looking for any signs of the occult. Other than Star Wars memorabilia and the kid's vast magazine collection, Sam couldn't find anything that looked of demon nature.

After leaving yet another voicemail to Dean and Jess, Sam went downstairs thinking about how he could get some answers from his new family. Hopefully, he could figure out what the heck was going on?

• • • • • • 

**(Jess's POV)**

Jessica was buying a soda for the road when Sam came up behind her. When he placed his palm on her shoulder, she jumped backward right into him.

"Sam! You startled me." She said a palm pressed to her chest and gave out a small laugh.

Sam smiled and itched his cheek. "Sorry, Jessica... uh anyway, Dean left already." 

"Okay, be there in a minute!" Jess smiled and turned back to the lady who was ringing up her snacks. Sam stayed close beside her, a little bit too close but Jess brushed it off.

"You two are a lovely couple." The elderly woman smiled heartily at them. Jess blushed as Sam threw an arm around her shoulders.

"Why thank you." Was all he said and Jess quickly paid and thanked the lady before they left the Gas and Sip. He escorted her to the car and even opened the door for her, Dean all the while watching with his mouth open. Jess just shrugged and hopped into the car, too busy wondering why Sam hadn't said anything about the old lady's comment.


	25. The Pickett's

**Swap Meat Continued**

**(Gary's POV)**

After they left the gas station Dean mentioned Sam's failure on finding anything on Maggie Briggs.

"You mean the witch Maggie Briggs? Oh yeah, she's in the basement," Gary spoke up.

"What basement?" Jess asked as she looked up from her book.

"Okay so there's this legend, you know that Isaiah Picketts hung her, but he didn't. The real truth is that she was carrying his illegitimate child. Didn't want word getting out so he killed her and buried her in the basement." Gary smiled at her through the rearview but the girl looked taken aback. 'Maybe too passionate Gary.' He thought to himself.

"The murdered child, that'd explain the scratches," Dean said.

"So she _was_ pregnant?" Jess asked and he locked eyes with her again. 'She has the most gorgeous eyes.' He thought then shook his head. He needed to focus. 'Solve the case, get the girl after.' He told himself.

"How'd you know that?" Gary shuttered for a millisecond at Dean's question but caught himself quickly enough. Gary knew he was walking on thin ice. He figured these people suspected something was going on but if he could just distract them a little while longer everything would work out.

"I've done loads of research...uh I mean last night." Dean sent a look over his way but Gary continued to look out the window. He figured if he half ignored them they'd drop it.

"Yeah, nice work, I guess." He said but Gary didn't buy it.

Dean started up the car and the three went to salt and burn some bones; the Impala blaring some type of rock song Gary loved.

• • • • • •

**(Sam's POV)**

After Sam found out that Gary was allergic to wheat gluten and got to know the bathroom on a very intimate level, Gary's sister finally spilled the beans about a certain book that Sam was looking for after finding various clues in Gary's room that pointed to the occult. Gary's sister said the occult book was in his locker at school so that's where he went.

Finding the locker wasn't hard, he just had to feign forgetfulness to the secretary in the front office and he was one step closer to getting back to his own body. It took a lot of moving the kid's junk around but soon Sam found the big bad occult book. It hadn't even tried to hide it.

"Moron," Sam muttered as he shut the locker and made his way towards the front door or the school. As he started walking through the door he was thinking about how stupid the kid was for hiding the book in his locker of all places. Anyone could've found it there then he would've been in even more trouble.

A girl who had tried to strike up a conversation with him in the hall, followed him as he walked outside and then a boy soon joined her. They were both trying to provoke conversation from the younger Winchester but he didn't have a lot of time so he didn't pay them any mind. He had to get his body back and soon.

"Sorry guys. I've been having a few weird days so if we could talk, maybe tomorrow, that'd be great." Sam said and turned to leave when the guy quickly produced a dart gun from his backpack. He aimed it at the Winchester and applied pressure to the trigger. The dart hit its mark and Sam in Gary's body fell to the ground. Sam didn't have time to think before he was out cold.

"Trevor!"

"What else was I supposed to do"

"Not shoot him, we're in broad daylight." Nora rolled her eyes and looked around before they both grabbed onto Sam's body. No one seemed to be looking in their general direction. 

The teenagers then proceeded to load Sam into the back of Trevor's car. Unbeknownst to the teens, a certain crossroads demon watched from the shadows.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

"This is Issac Pickett's house?" Jess heard Dean ask as they maneuvered their way into the house and down the basement steps. It was dark and there appeared to be no internal lights that she could see. 'Should've brought a flashlight.' Jess thought as she squinted and looked around.

"So what are we looking for?" She asked out.

"Probably a marker," Sam said right beside Jess's ear which caused her to jump again.

"Man you gotta stop doing that." She turned and punched his arm. This ghost business was already spooky, she didn't need Sam scaring her every five seconds.

"I got something guys," Dean said and she made her way over to Dean's figure. He was looking down at part of the floor that was just dirt, covered in green moss.

"Moss?" Jess asked and pointed down to it.

"Yeah it's-"

"Willow moss, it grows over witches' graves right?" Sam piped up from his place behind them.

Dean slowly turned his head to Sam.

"Yeah." He said and Jess made a mental note to write that down later so she could remember it because that info could definitely come in handy. 

"So, uh time to dig?" Dean nodded at Jess and handed her a shovel. Sam made some excuses and went back upstairs leaving the two alone. They worked in a comfortable silence until Jessica asked a question.

"Does Sam seem a bit odd to you?" Dean who was covered in dirt, cement powder, and sweat looked over toward her from his corner, swiping his arm across his forehead.

"Yeah a little, but I was blaming it on lack of sleep." Jess grinned in agreement.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. I just thought...nevermind. It's...whatever." Jess grasped her shovel firmly and started to scrape away at some moldy cement, but Dean was now intrigued.

"Jess, we talked about this. If you've got something on you're mind, you can tell me, kid." Jess' shovel came to a stop.

"I'm sure Sam's fine. There's nothing to worry about Dean. I'm just trying to look out for you guys. You've done so much in the last couple of weeks and I... I just feel indebted is all." 

Dean dropped his shovel into the cement grave they were digging out and pulled Jessica into a loving, brotherly hug. She hadn't been expecting it and her eyes immediately teared up as all the memories and feelings came back to her. She hadn't said anything to them because she couldn't. It was too hard. She let out a quiet sob which was muffled by Dean's jacket and he pulled her in closer and patted her head. Jessica let go of Dean after a few minutes as he moved away hiding his face.

"Sorry, thanks for the hug, Dean, you don't know how much I needed that." The elder Winchester grabbed his shovel and flashed his famous smile in her direction.

"You don't need to apologize. I'll always be here for you, whenever you need to talk." Dean turned back to his corner but not before Jess noticed a single tear slip down his cheek. Dean was a softie; both he and Sam actually were. She was lucky to have both of them.

Jessica felt a lot better after their hug, so she wiped her face and grabbed her shovel, and proceeded to work.

• • • • • •

**(Gary's POV)**

Gary who had listened to their whole stupid, sentimental conversation stood up from the bottom step on which he had been sitting. Time to get this show on the road Gary thought as he looked at the pair. He watched Dean help pull Jessica out of the hole.

"So that's Maggie Briggs?" Jess asked and Dean grunted as a way of reply then went about coating the bones in salt and lighter fluid.

"Gosh, this whole thing is just so horrible," Jess said and shook her head.

"Hey man, I'm really sorry about this." Gary raised the sawed-off shotgun to shoot Dean knowing he could take Jessica out with Sam's brute strength.

"Sorry about what?"

Before his finger could find the trigger the ghost of Maggie appeared and Gary flew backward. He heard Dean yell Sam and race toward him.

Jess started to strike the match Dean had thrown in her general direction but before she could, Maggie reappeared and shoved her against the wall, extinguishing the burning match in the process. A yelp ripped from Jessica's lips as her head slammed hard against the wall.

"Let's get outta here!" Gary yelled but Dean grabbed onto him.

"We gotta burn the body first, you idiot." Dean rushed back over until he was slammed into a wall as well.

Gary grabbed the match sticks, lighting one with speed, and threw it onto the decayed corpse. The ghost who was rushing at Dean went up in flames. Jess fell unceremoniously from the wall in a heap onto the floor.

"Ow." Is all Jessica said as she rolled over to look at the boys.

Gary smiled at Dean completely ignoring Jessica sprawled on the floor as Dean made his way over to Jess, helping her into a sitting position.

"Dude, that was sweet!" Gary said from over the burning bones with a smile.


	26. Demon Summoning Time

**(Swap Meat Continued- Sam's POV)  
**

Sam's first thought when he woke up was that his head hurt. Whatever was in those darts was powerful and he had to shake his head a few times so he could see straight. Wherever he was, it was dimly lit and he was tied up...which was less than fantastic. This wasn't something new but at least he was in a chair. He could make out the teenagers from the shadow a few feet from him.

"Great." Nora and Trevor were turned away from Sam talking to each other. They both looked over to him as he tried to break the ropes around him but they wouldn't budge.

"Call him, Trev!" The teenager was dialing Gary's number as they watched Sam struggle against the bonds. If he could loosen them up just a bit he'd be able to get out.

"Hey!" The Winchester in the room tried to get their attention until he heard Trevor mention his brother.

"Look, did you kill him or not?" Sam can't hear the response coming from the other end of the line. He tried to free himself from the chair, again, but failed miserably; well at least these kids were good at knot tying, but that thought wasn't helping him at the moment. 

"Well, kill her too, maybe she's worth something as well if she's traveling with them but we can't afford to fail," Trevor said into the phone. Sam stilled at his attempt to escape. They were talking about Jessica.

"Don't hurt Jess!" Sam yelled but the kid ignored him.

He frantically looked around the basement for any sort of weapon or tool that he could get to but there was nothing that could help him. He was trapped and someone was after Jess and Dean and he couldn't warn them. These were the moments he hated having the Enochian on his ribs.

"I swear if you even touch her." Sam all but growled but was cut off by Trevor.

"Well, I'm looking at your body with someone else inside it. Gary, this is messed up. You gotta get here now!" Trevor hung up the phone before turning back to Sam.

"How do you know Dean?" Sam asked the kids. Trevor sneered kneeling to be eye level with the younger Winchester.

"Everyone knows Dean. He's Hell's most wanted." Nora cringed when Trevor said the word Hell but Sam pushed the thought away and looked the kid in the eye. It was for good reason too, this kid had no idea who he was dealing with.

"Oh no, have you idiots have been talking to demons?" Trevor rolled his eyes at Sam's comment.

"Yeah right, we're the idiots." He said and Sam sighed back but Trevor rolled his eyes again. It seemed like he should receive an award for eye-rolling.

"You're just kids, you have no idea what you're messing with," Sam warned them but it looked like it had little effect on the boy. Trevor righted his posture and walked back over to the summoning bowl that Sam had failed to notice. These kids really were in way over their heads.

"Well, we know that there's a price on Dean's head and we're here to collect," Sam questioned what the teens were doing trying to figure out how all this came to be.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked them.

"We were down here a month ago." Nora started from across the room. Trevor tried to keep Nora from revealing the story but she persisted.

"Nora."

"What we're not allowed to talk about him? We were messing with the book, just goofing around." Trevor made a weird noise probably out of annoyance before turning away from the table which held the summoning ingredients.

"I wouldn't call praying to our dark overlord goofing around." Nora stood from the chair she was sitting in and started to approach Sam. 'Dark overlord? Really?' Sam thought. It was a tad immature honestly.

"Don't be a loser, Trev."

"Yeah Trev," Sam said with classic sass. The kid rolled his eyes for like the hundredth time. 'Did he have astigmatism or something?' Sam thought. It was starting to get on the Winchester's nerves but at least he wasn't getting punched in the face for once.

Nora went on to explain that Gary went into some weird trance-like state and doodled Dean's face. She then actually showed him the drawing. However, Trevor basically said that Gary was no Picasso so it was strange that he'd drawn a nearly perfect picture of Dean.

"He said he heard a voice in his mind. The demons were putting a bounty on this guy's head." Nora explained.

"A bounty?" Sam questioned. 'Of course, there was, what else was new?'

"Yeah, like every witch or satanist across the whole country. But Gary– Gary's the one who spotted you." Nora replied to Sam's question.

"And the Freaky Friday crap?" Sam gestured to himself with his head.

Nora nodded toward the book, "Another spell from the book. It was Gary's idea- go in Trojan horse-like style. He's really smart." She smiled to herself and Sam caught that look. He knew it well and it might just save his life.

"That is if he has the beanbags to go through with it." Trevor finally spoke up as he smirked at Sam. Dean could handle a kid in Sam's body, but Sam was worried for Jess. She wasn't accustomed to this life and if she went up against his strength she wouldn't come out unscathed.

Sam focused on Nora who seemed to be the more lenient of the two kids, "Listen to me. You are making a terrible mistake. We're talking about a demon deal...killing somebody. This isn't a game. You're crossing a line you'll never come back from. Believe me. And then you're also going to take a second life, of a girl who is innocent in all this. You can't do this." His words looked like they sent a chill through Nora's spine. 

He had to make them somehow see that messing with the wrong stuff could cause major repercussions to not only them but other people. Demons didn't care and he had a lot of experience with them so he was the best person to try and change their minds. She looked at Trevor with fear in her eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing...I-I..." Trevor huddled closer to her, dropping his voice to a whisper so Sam couldn't hear them.

"Nora don't tell me you're actually listening to this jerk."

Nora hid her eyes from Trevor, "I don't know maybe. I-I mean, he's got a point." Sam could tell the girl was frightened now. His words were finally sinking in. Trevor didn't seem to care as he narrowed his eyes. Sam was confused, why would these kids want to mess around with all this evil crap instead of being kids?

"I don't believe this! First Gary, now you. I can't...you know what? Fine. You want something done right..." Trevor walked back over to the table picking up the old occult book.

"What you're gonna- you're gonna kill Dean yourself, tough guy?" Sam asked but Trevor just pointed to the book in his arms.

"Don't have to, I've got this." Sam could see the page clearly. Trevor was definitely going to summon a demon. Nora trembled in fear.

"N-no, no. You can't... be serious." Sam started but Trevor looked down at the book smirking.

"I'm calling up one of those bad boys, turning these punks over and getting paid. Dolla, Dolla bills, y'all!" Sam rolled his eyes and tried to break the rope again but to no avail. 

"Trevor, they'll kill you, it's what they do. They'll promise you something, anything you want but it never works out. Kid listen to me." Sam pleaded but got nowhere with the boy. Sam looked to Nora and she tried once more to bargain with Trevor saying what he was about to do was a really bad idea. 

Sam agreed wholeheartedly enough to voice his opinion, "It's a very, very bad idea."

"No one asked you." Trevor's words shocked Nora who sadly was utterly defenseless against him.


	27. Something's Wrong With Sam

**(Swap Meat Continued-Jess's POV)  
**

After the trio left the Pickett house, Dean drove them all to the nearest bar for some food. After ordering burgers all around Jess went to the bathroom to check on her shoulder and head. They throbbed from being thrown into the wall but she wanted to make sure nothing was bleeding. After seeing some gnarly bruising she sighed. 'Have to be more careful.' Jess thought as she made her way back to the table.

"Where'd Sam go?"Jess asked when she got back to the table after asking for some ice. 

"Lady friend," Dean said and nodded over to the bar. She peered over to see Sam talking to a pretty blonde lady. 

"Oh." She said and dug into her burger.

"You good? That ghost had you pinned pretty good." Jessica nodded her head, trying to ignore the pain in her neck as she ate. Just then the waitress returned with some ice in a rag and Jess immediately put it on the back of her neck. 

"Checked everything out, just some bruises. It's gonna be sore for a few days. I'll get some aspirin when we get back to the motel." She said and looked back over to Sam.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

"What?" Dean asked again.

Jess sighed and relented.

"Don't you think this was too easy?"

"Sometimes it's as simple as this, I wish it were always this easy, but this was a good first case for you and at least Donna and her family will be safe now," Dean said and Jess nodded and finished her food grabbing her jacket from the back of the chair, watching Sam and the women leave the bar.

"Okie dokie. Let's book it mi amiga." Dean laughed as he stood, slapping a tip on the table and slinging on his jacket.

She followed Dean out the door towards the car and gently rolled her neck side to side, it would take a while for it to get back to normal.

"So, back to the motel?"

"Yep." was all he said as Jessica jumped into the passenger seat. The drive was short and Dean was quiet... unnaturally quiet.

"Something wrong?" She asked as the older Winchester nodded and put the Impala in park in front of their door.

"What is it?" Jessica questioned.

"Sam. I don't think he's... Sam." Jessica nodded.

"He's been acting strange all day. I was just blaming it on sleep but his actions have been way out of character." Dean agreed and the two went inside the motel. As soon as Dean shut the door he told her his plan while waiting for whoever was in Sam's body to return. It didn't take too long. Dean had told Jess to stay in the bathroom until it was completely safe for her to come out.

"You think he's here to kill us?"

"Who knows. A lot of people are after Sammy and me." Dean said as he messed with the pillows on his bed.

"Like Cas? He's a vessel too right, well at least his body is?"

Dean nodded at her questions before whipping the blanket off his pillows. "Not exactly like that...but I'm sure that dork has his own problems."

Jessica sighed so Dean elaborated. 

"I know it's complicated and this is all new for you but basically Heaven and Hell are watching us to see which side we"ll choose. It's kinda creepy and disturbing." Jess nodded in understanding of what Dean said even though she didn't exactly get what he was saying.

"So are you gonna do it?" She asked. 

"Of course not, we do that and the world implodes." He said and then changed the subject. It seemed like a sensitive topic for him and she didn't want to push it.

Jessica closed the door to the bathroom afterward. She guessed at the moment they had more important things to worry about than heaven and hell. Maybe she could ask Cas to explain it to her, he usually answered her questions. Dean hadn't really looked like he wanted to talk about it and she doubted Sam did either. Jessica was so focused on thinking to herself that she didn't even hear Gary come into the motel room or Dean's scuffle with him.

A sharp rap on the door finally alerted Jessica. She slowly cracked the door. Dean was on the other side.

"Let's go. I know where Sam is."

• • • • • •

**(Sam's POV)**

Sam was freaking out. The kid had no idea what he was doing and he knew someone was gonna get killed. Trevor mumbled incoherent words in Latin but they sounded odd. It didn't sound like any summoning spell Sam had ever heard before. Before he could comment Trevor muttered the last words, but nothing happened.

"Maybe I said it wrong?" Trevor looked over to see Nora slumped over on the floor. That wasn't good and it definitely confirmed Sam's earlier predictions.

"Nora?" Sam yelled for Trevor not to touch her but he ignored him and ran to her side.

"Nora, you okay?" Nora whipped her head around and her eyes flashed an obsidian black. She smiled at them both but it wasn't Nora anymore. "What?"

"It was a possession spell, not a summoning spell," Sam told him.

"Oh yeah. I'm peachy. So what'd you call me here for Skippy?" Trevor seemed a bit scared but pushed through with an answer.

"We uh, have Dean Winchester." The demon's eyes go back to normal. She almost looked like Nora again but there was a glint Sam knew all too well.

"You do? Where?" Sam spoke up for Trevor.

"Trevor keep your mouth shut." The kid ignored him yet again and told her the location. Seriously this kid was super stupid and was probably gonna get someone killed.

"The cloverleaf motel on Route 6." The demon looked over at Sam.

"Is that you...Sam?" She laughed before lightly slapping him on the cheek, "Well aren't you just 98 pounds of nothing." Sam just looked at her with a poker face.

"The kid is a moron. He doesn't have any idea where Dean is." The demon laughed again before asking Trevor who was in Sam's body.

"A dangerous warlock... named Gary." The demon inhabiting Nora's body grinned.

"You mean to tell me you've got the location of Dean _and_ Sam Winchester's meat suit? An empty vessel just waiting to be filled. And you're handing them both over to me?" Trevor stuttered out his reply to her.

"I-I guess." The demon winked back at Sam.

"Well, I gotta hand it to ya. I'm impressed." Trevor relaxed enough to ask about the reward. The demon replied with an unsatisfactory answer about undying devotion. Trevor must have realized the mistake he made. Sam had warned that something like this would happen but the kid just wouldn't listen.

"What, are you serious?" Sam who was still trying to get out of his restraints, moved back and forth. He told Trevor to shut up but he just continued, because after all...he was just another stupid kid playing with something he didn't even really understand.

"Wait a minute! I— We worked our butts off here and uh I want my reward! Please." The demon's face lit up. If this weren't a serious situation Sam might've compared these two to someone trying to help a wounded animal and Trevor would be labeled the wounded animal just by association.

"What can I get you?" The demon possessing Nora's body asked. Trevor paused for a moment in thought.

"How about a million bucks?" Sam tried to warn him to run but the demon reeled Trevor in with the promise of ten million. It was no use...something terrible was about to happen.

"Okay, ten million. And I want... Mandy Schwartz to fall in love with me." The demon chuckled for like the four-hundredth time, gosh didn't it get annoying for them?

"Love, money. Sticking to the basics. Cute, but here's my counter." The demon then proceeded to drive her hand into Trevor's body seamlessly and popping it back out seconds later. Blood seeped from his mouth as he fell to the floor, dead. Sam looked on in disdain a the demon licked the warm blood off of Nora's hand.

"Yup. Tastes like moron." The demon said and threw a smile at Sam. Sam looked anywhere but the now dead body in front of him.


	28. Teenagers

**(Swap Meat Continued- Jess's POV)  
**

Jess watched Sam, well Sam's body that had been tied to a chair, while Dean fiddled with the motel room phone, checking his voicemail messages. Instantly someone's voice flooded the room as he explained what was going on.

"Alright, pal. Either you start talking or I start waterboarding." Not Sam flinched away from Dean.

"Oh my, I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me." Dean clapped a hand on Not Sam's shoulder.

"Okay pull it together champ!" His voice hit a high pitch before he muttered over and over about how he didn't want to die. Jess stood beside Dean.

"Where's Sam?" She asked Not Sam and he glanced at her before relenting.

"In my friend's basement. His parents are out of town."

"Parents? How old are you?"Dean asked. Gary shrugged before looking back at Jessica.

"I'm seventeen." Before Dean could ask more questions he flew backward and hit a lamp. Jess moved quickly in front of Not Sam as Dean seemed to be unconscious. 

"Nora?" Not Sam asked and she glanced his way as her eyes turned obsidian.

"Not at the moment."

• • • • • •

Meanwhile back at Trevor's, Sam struggled against the bindings that held him tight to the chair. At the moment, he had little hope of escape.

• • • • • •

"So you're the young thing that's traveling with the Winchesters?" Jess narrowed her eyes.

"So, what's it to you?" She asked but the demon shrugged.

"Nothing. You're awfully pretty though....perhaps I'd like to try a new face on...what do you think?" Nora grabbed Jess's forearm and tried to pull her closer. Jess shot out her hand at the demon's face to gain leverage but was pushed away. She felt herself fly back and half of her hit the end of the loft bed. The demon possessing Nora took this time to untie Gary.

"Boy, you earned your dessert tonight kiddo. Tell me, what is it you want? Anything." Gary looked over his shoulder at her.

"Anything?..."

"Lay it on me." Gary removed the rope from its place of rest around his body and watched as the demon faces him. He stood.

"I want to be a witch. For real. And really powerful." The demon's eyes scrunched up as he responded.

"Good choice, I get it. No daddy. No MIT. No plan. You, big and strong doing whatever you want. There's just a small formality first. You gotta meet the boss." Gary seemed confused at her words.

"The boss?" The demon nudged Dean with Nora's shoe.

"You know– your satanic majesty, or whatever the kids are calling it these days."

"The devil?" The demon hummed in agreement.

Jess slowly started to skirt around the room so she could get to Dean. She kept her eyes on the two as they conversed. She quickly shook Dean until she felt his body start to move again. Gary's voice carried her back to the conversation.

"Uh... no okay. Um, it's okay. I don't wanna really bother him." He mumbled out and the demon plastered a sickeningly sweet smile on Nora's face.

"Oh, but he's gonna wanna meet you. Relax It'll be easy. All he's gonna do is ask you one little question and all you gotta do is say 'yes' and then, reward time!"

While Gary had been unknowingly distracting the demon that was possessing Nora, Dean had finally gotten off the floor and grabbed the demon knife. He charged and swung at her but she caught hold of his arm and threw him easily to the ground. She sent a kick in his direction, but Jess launched herself at the demon and tackled her to the ground, landing one punch to her face before being flung backward.

"Gary!" He snapped out of whatever dream world he was in.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus." The demon who was now back on her feet turned to look at Gary.

"What was that?"

"Uh, Nothing." The demon ran over to Gary and picked him up by the throat.

"Are you trying to exorcise me?" Dean stood and started in right where Gary had left off on the exorcism.

"Spiritus, omnis satanica potestas." The demon released Gary and turned back towards Dean. Jess who had straightened herself up took advantage of that and tripped the demon and went to Dean's side to steady him. Gary continued in Latin.

"Omnis incursio infernalis adversii." Dean and Gary tangoed with the words as the demon tossed her head back and forth between the two. Jess held Dean up against her as he said the final words.

"Te rogamus. Adios, b*tch!"

Gary shrugged, "It's Audi Nos." Black smoke poured from Nora's mouth as the demon was sent back to Hell, through a small vent in the wall. The three of them all let out a breath and Gary nodded over to Dean. Jess smiled and then clutched her side, the pain from being thrown returning since the adrenaline was wearing off.

"Glad that's over."

"You and me both sister." They smiled at each other and Jess helped Nora to one of the beds.

Later when Sam had shown up at the motel Gary chanted the spell and switched his body with Sam. A light flared from the powder Gary had dropped into a bowl. When the dust cleared, Sam was back in his body and Gary was in his own body. Dean pushed himself to his feet.

"So we good?" Sam looked at his brother.

"Yeah, we're good. Oh man, it's nice to be back." Gary grumbled about how awesome it is from his place on the floor.

"So Gary?" Gary stood and looks at Dean.

"Yeah, I know. My bad." Dean and Jess both crossed their arms.

"My bad? Kid my bad ain't gonna cut it. See if you were of voting age... You'd be dead because we would kill you. So either you straighten up and fly right or we will kill you. Are we clear?" Gary gulped.

"Crystal."

"Good." After making sure Nora was okay and Gary apologized to Jess, Sam, and Dean, they drove the kids to Gary's house.

"Crap." Sam patted Gary on the shoulder.

"Take it from someone who knows, chin up man. Your life ain't that bad." Gary cringed.

"You've met my parents." Sam shrugged.

"Yeah. So what? It's your life. You don't like their plan for you, tell them to cram it. Rebel a little bit. In a healthy, non-satanic way, of course. By the way, you know why Nora's into witchcraft?" Gary looks confused again. Lord bless him.

"What do you mean?"

"She doesn't like Satan, you moron. She likes you." Sam said and batted his hair out of his eyes. The wind in this town was nuts. Gary looked back over at Nora who had handed the blanket she was wrapped in back to Dean. Jess shoved Gary who grinned.

"Really, you think?" Sam coughed.

"Yeah, I know. I'm telling you, kid- I wish I had your life." Gary smiled again. Dean and Jess looked at each other.

"You do? Thanks." Sam slapped him on the back.

"Get outta here!" Jess gave Sam a side hug as Gary joined Nora. Dean opened the driverside door to the Impala.

"That was a nice thing to say." Sam shrugged and pulled Jessica closer.

"I totally lied. That kid's life sucked. All that apple-pie, family crap? It's stressful. Trust me- we didn't miss a dang thing." Sam shared a grin with Jessica whose jaw had dropped at his words before she got in the car. The engine rumbled as they started on down the road.

"Or we don't know what we're missing."

Jess thought on Dean's words as they trucked along the road back to Sioux Falls. Back to Bobby's. A lot had happened in the last couple weeks. She'd been through so much. Jessica wasn't sure where her life was going but as long as she was with Sam and Dean, she wasn't quite worried. She leaned her head against the front seat and tapped Sam's shoulder. He looked over to her.

"Glad you're alright Sammy." She said.

"I would've eventually killed that kid," Dean said as he flicked through the radio stations.

"He did know about Maggie Briggs though." 

"How are you doing anyway. Neck still bothering you?" Dean asked and turned his head back to the girl.

"Mostly fine now, it's gonna take a few days to get back to normal," Jess said and leaned her head on Sam's shoulder. She missed the look the brothers shared. It was odd not having the real him around for the case and she felt a little sappy that Sam was okay. 

'Man I need some sleep.' Jess thought and yawned.

• • • • • •

**(Chloe's POV)**

Chloe watched as the trio pulled out onto the road from the suburb. For the life of her, she didn't understand why they would've helped those stupid kids? 

They were a liability to them. 

What would a few words do to stop that kid from summoning another demon for a deal? She knew it better than anyone, how desperate people became when people didn't have what they wanted. She sighed and decided that she'd watched them long enough for today, it was time to get lost.


	29. Sam and Dean's Past

**(Jess's POV)**

It had been a strange few days for Jess and the boys. A lot of what Sam had said to Gary stuck in her head. She didn't have the best childhood growing up but Jess was lucky, to have her mom for a small amount of time then Rachel and her aunt.

If it weren't for the, Jessica's not sure where she'd be now? 

The ride back to the motel was quiet as all three were in thought. Jess couldn't tell what the brothers were thinking but she figured it had to do with their childhood. She didn't want to bring any sour memories up but she knew there was a story there, she knew both of them were hurt from something. She saw it plain as day on their faces. She wanted to know so she asked. 

That was three days ago. 

Dean and Sam had looked at her but hadn't responded and she dropped it like everything else. She was starting to see a trend with them that she didn't like all that much. They didn't talk. Maybe they thought they were too macho, she didn't know. 

Still, she didn't push.

They had looked for a case for those three days but nothing close had popped up. They were now on their way back to Bobby's for what she hoped was a break. The old hunter had sounded quite urgent on the phone. 

Sam snored in the backseat when Dean turned off the side of the interstate. It was almost seven in the morning and the sun had slowly started to ascend up into the sky. Jess looked up from her book.

"Why'd we stop, the car okay?" She looked around in confusion until Jess heard Dean's voice. It was almost a whisper.

"When I was four years old my mother died in a nursery fire."

'Oh. oh.' Jess thought and dropped her book to the seat and gave him her full attention. 

"Officially it was written off as a gas leak but really she was murdered by a yellow-eyed demon. My dad tried to save her... Sam was still a baby so he doesn't remember Mom much or that night. I carried him out of our burning house and we've been hunting ever since."

"That must have been rough on you and Sam...being so young," Jess said. She felt for them, she really did. She wouldn't wish the death of a parent on anyone.

And maybe that was why they never talked or shared anything about themselves. Because the Winchesters had already lost so much.

"After we hit the road and started moving around a lot, Dad would go off on hunts by himself so I mostly took care of Sam. It _was_ rough, moving around so much but we managed. Dad learned about the supernatural, trained me, then Sam when he was old enough. We searched for a long time for the thing that killed mom. His name was Azazel, a prince of hell and one mean son of a b*tch."

She watched Dean look out the windshield, out to the foggy landscape that beckoned them forth. They were almost to Bobby's and the sun was slowly rising in the East. Jessica wondered why Dean had thought now was a great time to be revealing his and sam's life story however, she was glad Dean felt comfortable enough to tell her.

"The way we grew up was far from normal." He continued, "We never really had a childhood, but now that I think about it, even if we're both messed up, I would not've traded this life for anything, which is saying a lot."

Jess blinked back tears and reached for Dean's hand and tried to offer some semblance of comfort.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that was your childhood. No child should have to go through that. I'm sorry you had to raise your brother by yourself. You've been through so much. More than anyone should go through." 

Dean nodded and continued to watch the sunrise into the sky. She thought she saw the beginnings of a single tear in Dean's eye.

Jessica cleared her throat and wiped her own tears away before she said.

"I'm glad you were there when Rachel died. If I'd been alone I don't know what I would have done. I still don't." She shook her head and looked away. 

Sam who looked like he was still asleep let out a loud snore that sputtered into a cough before he rolled out of Jessica's sight. 

"Don't be sorry kiddo. This life, it's hard and sometimes we're dealt a bad hand. Saving people is part of the gig but sometimes it doesn't happen. So many people die around us. It's not an ideal walk in the park and I'm not asking you to follow us down this road." Dean motioned to the door as he got out of the car, so Jessica followed him leaving Sam to his nap. 

The air was frigid outside and the wind rumbled in the distance.

"Are you giving me an opportunity to leave? You are, aren't you?"

Dean didn't reply to Jess's question but he did continue his story. He told Jess about how John died and how he sold his soul for Dean. Then Sam was killed which prompted Dean to sell _his_ own soul. He neglected to say anything about Hell, just that it was a really dark place.

"Then, we met Cas. He's the one that got me out." Dean told her, "Anyway, now we're in a tight spot. There were these seals and the angels screwed us over. Sam and I brought on the apocalypse and now we're the only ones who can stop it" Jess kicked a rock. 

They'd talked about the vessels before but she didn't know why? Why had Sam and Dean been chosen? And what they were gonna do about it?

"So what are they supposed to do, fight each other?" She asked mildly confused.

"The short answer, yeah...and, I'm worried about Sam."

Jess shot a glance back at the Impala. "That's what got you so worried? That Sam will let Satan take a ride inside his brain or whatever?" She asked and then changed the subject. "Sam said that you tried running from all this a few months back...he mentioned it did little to stop the seals from breaking."

At first, Jess had no idea that there were seals holding the world back from Lucifer rising and bringing about the end of literally everything. It wasn't like anyone had an end of the world guidebook. The truth of the matter was that Dean and Sam had broken the first and the last seals and still saved the world...despite everything they'd been through, the brothers still chose the world.

Dean actually nodded. "Yeah...we tried going our separate ways but all I learned from it is that we're always gonna end up facing off against each other. So, until then Sam and I might as well stick together."

Jessica looked at Dean and then back towards the car, "They actually want you both to kill each other. That's messed up."

They both sit in silence for a while. Jessica didn't know quite how to respond. It was a tricky business, having to deal with your own destiny. 

Sometimes things didn't go the way you planned. Good people died. Bad people lived. And the world moved on, Jessica knew all about that, had bared witness to Ellen and Jo, Rachel, her own family and from what she could tell; there would probably be more destruction the closer they got to whatever Heaven had in store for the brothers.

"So, if you think that this isn't for you then--" He began but Jess made him hush with a sigh.

"I've lost everyone I've ever cared about and seeing Ellen and Jo--I'm not about to lose the two of you. If you think I'm leaving then you got another thing coming."

"I just mean-" He started but Jess shushed him again.

"I've been with both of you since you rolled up to my house and I'm not about to send you packing. Sure this is a dangerous game you're both playing. Heaven and Hell on either side and we're low on resources and people. Let me help you."

Dean looked taken aback by her words and she figured that most people weren't brutally honest with him.

• • • • • •

**(Cas' POV)**

Castiel watched the demon pace back and forth in the empty bar. He didn't know much about her, only that she was worth looking into. Cas knew that Chloe could be a major asset to the Winchesters if only she would agree to help.

He watched as the girl in question stopped pacing and looked out the window. He saw her head pop out of the window.

"Get in here feathers!" Castiel took a moment and wondered if she was talking to him. He looked around expecting there to be someone else but he was the only angel there. He soon pushed that thought away when he heard the growl of a hell hound. Wanting to get off the street and out of sight he quickly followed Chloe's orders and appeared beside her.

She didn't even look frightened of his presence before she spoke in a hushed whisper.

"Look, if I help you, My boss will send everyone he's got to stop me."

"Everyone is expendable." He thought the words were harsh but the statement was true. If Sam and Dean didn't succeed then it would've been all for nothing.

Chloe hadn't mentioned to him that she'd been tailing the Winchesters and their girl for a few days now. He knew she'd be curious, demons always were. Cas always had eyes on Jess, Dean, and Sam well technically just Jessica as the brothers had sigils carved on their ribs. For the most part, they seemed safe as Chloe hadn't drawn attention to herself. It was a skill that proved useful. 

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, buddy. You said that I was worth something. If you can keep me safe long enough, I'll see what I can do. On another note, the brothers. They don't take kindly to demons. How do I convince them that I'm there to help." Cas stood from the booth.

"That is not my problem." Chloe sprang up from the booth and followed Cas to the door.

"You're a wayward angel, you know that! One minute you're nice and kind, almost human-like, then you're cold as marble," He saw Chloe shake her head at him. He knew in fact what she was talking about but he would never admit it, and not to her of all people. "How do you sleep at night?"

"I don't." the angel said and cocked his head to the side, "and I have my orders." And then he was gone.

• • • • • •

**(Chloe's POV)**

"Well, your orders are messed up." She told the air in front of her. That was just like him, to disappear before he gave over any information.

"Who you talkin to Chloe?" The demon girl slowly turned to face her friend, Kurt.

"No one you need to worry about. Just another deal gone sour." The temperature in the room dropped dramatically as Kurt walked closer to her.

"Where have you been Kurt?"

"Hell."

"Well then...that's putting it bluntly." She saw Kurt roll his eyes and glanced around the bar.

"No, I was in actual Hell. Helping Crowley....you know our boss. He asked about you? Said you weren't baggin' and taggin' as many as you used to." The demon said and shrugged off his very expensive coat.

"What can I say, I've been busy and no one seems to want to make a deal." She said and eyed Kurt as he pushed over a few chairs before he locked eyes with Chloe, clearly some sort of scare tactic. However, it did little to work on her. She could see he was angry but she just didn't care.

"Not good enough C! Figure it out before someone tells the boss."


	30. The Song Remains the Same

**(One-week later-Cas's POV)**

The warehouse was dingey and had an odd smell Castiel couldn't place. He had expected something like this to happen and he knew Anna had a soft spot for Dean, well did...before she was sent back to their home...in heaven

Suddenly light bulbs burst and sent sparks down in showers. He watched Anna move tentatively around, slowly she turned to come face to face with him.

"Hello, Anna."

"Well, if I didn't know any better... I'd say the Winchesters don't trust me." Castiel was quick to respond to her.

"They do. I don't. I wouldn't let them come." The angel circled Anna, while she questioned him as to why he wouldn't allow Dean to come with him but he knew she was stalling.

"If you're out of prison, it's because they let you out. And they sent you here to do their dirty work." He said and scoped the area ever again. If he couldn't trust Anna anymore then she could have other angels helping her. They both quickly made it a habit to keep an eye on each other. To Castiel, it seemed like she was watching him like a hawk looking for prey.

"And what makes you so sure?"

"Because I've experienced...Heaven's persuasion." It was putting it lightly. Castiel wasn't a model angel by far. He knew what the leaders could make one of their own do and sometimes it was far from pleasant.

"You mean when you gave me to them?" Anna asked with an angered tone, one that he deserved.

The angel looked down, "That was a mistake...Anna whatever they sent you here to do-"

"They didn't send me!...I've escaped." The angel-faced the person he used to call a friend.

"No one escapes," he said cooly as he watched Anna cross her arms. She seemed to be hiding something, trying to move his focus from something.

"After all these centuries, and you still underestimate me?" She asked.

There was a thrum of energy in the air, whether it was the building argument or something else, he didn't know. The angels were of course locked in a fierce verbal battle. All that was left to do was tango.

"If you're not one of them, then what do you want?"

"I wanna help." He knew it was a lie as soon as it left her mouth.

"You wanna help?" He squinted his eyes at her.

"Yes."

"Then what are you doing with that knife?" Anna's face contorted as she pulled a knife from her overcoat. The look on her face told him that she hadn't even really realized that she'd done it. It was good old programming.

"Not allowed to defend myself?" She asked as to diffuse the confusing situation, everything seemed to be falling into a haze.

"Against whom? That blade doesn't work against angels. It's not like this one." A blade appeared in Cas's hand. It resembled the same blade Anna had used to kill Uriel, a fellow angel who went to the dark side.

"Maybe you're not working for Heaven, but there's something you're not telling me."

There's a lull in the conversation but that didn't help with the next words she spoke.

"Sam Winchester has to die." Anna collected herself for a moment before adding, "I'm sorry but he's Lucifer's vessel." There it was, finally the truth.

"He's not the only one."

"What. That guy Nick? He's burning away as we speak. Sam is the only vessel who matters, you know what that means. If Lucifer can't take Sam, his whole plan short-circuits. There would be no fight with Michael...no Croatoan virus." Castiel contemplated what Anna was dishing out but he wouldn't let it happen.

"Even if you could...kill Sam, Satan would just bring him back to life," Castiel told her.

"Not after I scatter his cells across the universe." Castiel turned from Anna as she continued with her mantra saying no one would ever find Sam or his particles.

"We'll find another way." He said and Anna took a breath and continued to stare at Cas, who stilled looked away from his fellow angel. He knew it wouldn't be something she would want to hear but Sam had been through enough.

"How's that going? How's the Colt working out? Or the search for God? Is anything you do work? If you want to stop the devil, this is how." She listed off. That was the problem with some of his brothers and sisters, they wanted to place blame where it shouldn't be placed.

"The answer's still no because Sam is my friend," Cas said honestly.

"You've changed."

"Maybe too late, but I have." Castiel's own words prompted the wayward angel to face Anna once more, to give her a final warning. One she knew he'd be good for.

"We've been through so much, Anna. But if you come near Sam Winchester I will kill you."

Before his eyes, Anna disappeared leaving Castiel alone in the warehouse.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

"Sounds like a weird dream to me," Jess said as Sam nodded. Castiel drew a symbol on a nearby table with chalk.

"Really? Anna? I don't believe it." Dean muttered as Castiel continued to draw.

"It's true." Was all the angel replied before Jess turned to Sam, who was lounging on his bed.

"Who's Anna exactly?" Dean looked at Sam and Cas who said nothing.

"Right. She was a fallen angel who we helped. She was sort of an ally until she was locked up in Heaven." Sam looked up toward the angel. "So this plan to kill me. Would it actually stop Satan?" Dean walked over to Sam.

"No man. Come on!" The younger Winchester turned his gaze toward his brother then back to Cas. Jessica placed her hand on top of his.

"Do you think she has a point Cas?" The angel, in turn, looked up from the bowl and down at Sam and Jess's hands for a brief moment and then continued his work.

"No, she's...uh...Glenn Close." Sam also looked down at Jessica's hand on his. She gave him a small squeeze and instead of letting go, they continued to hold hands. Jess hoped that it brought him a tad bit of comfort.

"You're not gonna die, we'll figure something out. I'm sure Cas has a few tricks up his trench coat." Sam smiled at Jessica's words. Dean on the other hand was livid.

"Why are we calling the chick that wants to kill Sam? Why poke the bear?" Cas was moving things around on the table. Jess couldn't help but grin at the angel.

"Anna won't stop till Sam is dead. So we kill her first." Cas poured some oil into the bowl and started reciting what can only be Enochian. Jess had been reading many of Bobby's lore books which cleared up some things, but to her, the angel language was still a mystery and a little odd.

Suddenly red smoke and flames shot from the bowl. The angel stumbled back and grabbed onto the back of the chair in front of him. Jess partially jumped after she saw the angel stumble.

"Cas, you okay?" The angel nodded towards a worried Jessica and turned to Dean.

"Found her."

"Where is she?" Dean questioned.

"Not where, when. 1978." The angel has the most confused look on his face as he said this. Sam stood up and joined them, clearly confused.

"What? Why 1978. I wasn't even born yet...."

Jess looked between the three content to listen to their conversation. Why would their ex angel friend go back in time before Sam or Dean were born? And did they really need to kill her? If she was good once, she could be good again. 

'I mean, it's not like she's gonna kill...their parents before they even have a chance to have Dean or Sam!' She thought and Jessica's eyes widened before Castiel had a chance to explain...because she was pretty sure she just came to the realization that that was exactly what Anna was planning to do.

"You won't be if she killed your parents first," Jess said without thinking, probably taking the words right out of Cas's mouth. All three men glanced at her, fear and confusion written on their faces, Castiel in particular. It seemed like he was wondering how she'd known what Anna was doing but she couldn't tell. It's not like that mattered much at all.

At least that's what Jessica told herself as they continued to stare at her. Sam broke the silence.

"Take us back right now," Sam said to the angel but Cas didn't look like he was happy. In fact, Cas looked morose a lot of the time he was around them.

"No, I'd deliver you right to Anna. I should go alone."

"They're our parents Cas, we're going."

Cas and Dean have a sort of stare off until the angel replied. "It's not that easy."

Sam joined in on the argument and took a step forward. He gently dragged Jess with him as their hands were still entwined, "Why not?"

Cas turned his back for a brief moment and took a few steps away from the trio. He seemed to be thinking or stalling, Jess wasn't sure which.

"Time travel is difficult, even with the powers of heaven at my disposal."

"Which got cut off," Dean rolled his eyes. "So you're like a Delorean without enough plutonium?" Jess nodded, it was the perfect phrase for the situation. 

Cas straightened up at Dean's words.

"I do not understand that reference. But I'm telling you taking this trip....with passengers no less..." the angel shook his head.

"It will weaken you?" Sam asked and Cas nodded as soon as Jess opened her mouth.

"Well then, just take the boys. They're not my parents...no reason for me to go. I'll just stay here." Sam and Dean both say No in unison which was kinda creepy but also cool at the same time. From Castiel's glance in her direction, he seemed to agree with the brothers.

"If we're not here-" Sam started, but she cut him off.

"Look, I can protect myself. Besides, this could be your only chance guys. Sam's life is at risk...we gotta act fast." Jess squeezed Sam's hand one last time and then hugged him while Dean pleaded with Cas.

"They're our mom and dad. If we can save them...if we can set things right...we gotta try." Castiel shook his head again, clearly, he was at an impasse.

"I have to make a phone call." The angel excused himself and disappeared.

"Think he'll take you guys?" Jess asked. Dean plopped down in the chair from earlier.

"Boy, I hope so. Hey, thanks by the way. Cas is soft on you, ya know." Jessica blushed before she slapped Dean on the shoulder. The man was such an idiot.

"You're so funny....be careful okay and keep Sam safe." Dean nodded and patted Jess' head. Sam looked up from where he stood by the window.

"You know, I'm literally over here." The younger Winchester said so Jess threw a pillow at him, which he deflected with one punch.

"Shut up you big moose and keep Dean safe." This caused the trio to laugh.

Castiel quickly returned from his phone call and started packing a bag. All the while he taught Jessica some basic Enochian symbols for when they would be gone.

When they're finally ready Sam took the bag from Cas and swung it over his shoulder. He made for the door but not before he placed a kiss on Jessica's head like the kiss had magical protection properties or something...at least that's what Jess thought as the three men huddled together.

"Ready?" Cas asked. 

"Follow the rules, Dean," Jess said to them. They didn't need the plot of _Back to the Future II_ to happen.

Sam shrugged and replied, "Not really." Dean quickly slapped Sam's shoulder lightly.

"Bend your knees."

Both of the brothers looked like hobbits as Cas touched their foreheads. In seconds they were gone and Jessica was left alone in the motel room.


	31. Best Friend Bonding Time?

**(Two Hours Before-Chloe's POV)**

"You want me to _watch_ her?"

"Just until I get back. Sam and Dean were adamant about going back to 1978. I have to take them but Jessica has no reason to go, so she will be staying behind." Chloe hopped down from her stool to stand in front of the angel. She had more important things to do than watch some girl that was tagging along with the death squad.

"Why can't you just zap them there and watch her yourself?" She asked pointedly.

"The brothers would have no way to return, will you do it or not?" Cas said with an annoyed look on his face. 'Must've fallen from the wrong side of heaven this morning.' She thought and sighed.

"Whatever you need feathers. I just have to keep her safe, yeah?" The angels' eyes narrowed at the demon but then he nodded. Seemed easy enough if she was honest with herself.

"Thank you." Castiel disappeared without saying another word.

So, ten minutes later Chloe found herself at the dingy motel door trying to find some courage to knock on it.

Before the demon could knock, however, it opened and she was face to face with Jessica herself.

"You're Jessica Coleman...." Jessica's eyes squinted at the person standing in front of her door and then she nodded.

"And you are?"

"I'm Chloe, Castiel sent me... to protect you while he's with the Winchesters in 1978." Jess smiled at the mention of her friends. She seemed quite loyal to them even though she barely knew them.

"Oh, okay... I was just gonna grab a snack from the vending machine....care to join me?" Chloe nodded and followed the girl down the hall a short way, to the machine. Easily trusting, that wasn't very good. Anyone could just say the same things she had said to gain entry and kill her instantly. Now she knew why the angel had asked her to watch the human. Chloe surveyed the area around her but didn't see anyone suspicious lurking.

"So, are you an angel too?" Jessica asked her which made Chloe shrug before she replied with a hard no.

"I'm a friend of Castiel's I guess you could say." It would be easier to tell her that instead of the actual truth. She would probably run tail if she mentioned her demoness and that was the last thing she needed tonight. Jessica nodded and punched the button for a Nutter Butter.

"You want anything?" Chloe shrugged again and looked at the dusty vending machine. It had been a while since she had and junk food as she didn't really eat.

"This thing got Salt and Vinegar chips?" Jess crinkled her nose before she shoved her thumb back at the room.

"Nah, but Sam's got some in his duffle, let me buy some sodas and the chips are all yours! He doesn't need them anyway." Chloe nodded in response and watched her get various items other than soda. Cas must've told her it would take a few days. She followed the girl back to her room after she'd ransacked the vending machine.

A famous 80's movie was quietly on the television when they both entered the empty room. Jess dropped all the snacks on the sofa before she grabbed a large container of salt.

"Gotta put this down again first." Chloe watched her coat the doorway with the salt. It efficiently locked them both in the room. Well, at least they taught her that. The demon glanced around said room at the various sigils. There was no pentagram up.

"Shouldn't you have a sigil for demons in case they get in?" Chloe asked but Jessica just shrugged and started rummaging through a duffel bag. 

"I don't know it and Dean and Cas didn't put it down before they left so, I figure I'm okay for now. Aha. Here you go," She said and tossed the stolen chips at the demon. "What would demons want with me anyway? I'm no one important." Jessica asked and opened her soda. 

Chloe's eyes fix on the girl who had just directed her attention to the movie on the screen in front of them. It showed three teenagers as they ran around a city that looked a lot like Chicago.

"They may want to kidnap you. You probably know valuable information about the Winchesters and their friends and you'd probably break under the pressure. Also not to mention the little problem they've found themselves in here recently." Jess glanced away from the T.V.

"You mean the vessels?" Chloe nodded. Looks like the brothers weren't keeping a tight lid on their secrets around her. Could this girl be trusted? But other than that why would Chloe care? Chloe had known a lot of dumb and clueless people and this girl was very naive or seemed to be anyway.

Jess munched on her Nutter Butter and looked away, a few moments passed before she spoke.

"Look, I didn't want a babysitter. I am a grown woman after all. You're a friend of Castiels' so you probably know him better than I do. That doesn't mean you're a good person, or that I can trust you... I haven't known Castiel or the Winchesters very long, but they mean a lot to me already. In the short time we've known each other I've been through so much and they've been there for me so I wouldn't harm them or tell any demon anything about them. So, _if_ you're who you say you are and Cas trusts you, then I guess I trust you as well. And if demons come after me then you'll be here. You _are_ supposed to protect me after all." Jessica said and looked back at the movie.

"So, you really do trust Cas then?" Jessica nodded at Chloe's question.

"He hasn't shown me that he can't be trusted, also he's helped out quite a bit in the past and he's a good listener." Chloe huffed at that remark. She definitely didn't agree with that one. Any angel got on her nerves and Castiel was no exception.

"What?" Jess asked her when she huffed at her words. 

"What? Nothing..."

"Uh, so how did you meet Cas?" Jess asked as she changed the subject and snacked on the food she bought. 

"Well, it was on accident actually. He needed my help. Apparently, he knew who I was before we met."

"He said he knew me too when we met actually. Did you know he was an angel?"

"Of course, Cas is big news in the und- in America in general." Chloe cleared her throat. Jessica nodded and turned back to the tv as another movie started.

"So 1978?" Chloe asked.

"Oh right, you're probably wondering why I didn't just tag along? I didn't know time travel was actually a thing until a few hours ago but apparently, it isn't all ponies and rainbows. Cas said he couldn't take all of us and I was fine with staying behind. The boys went back to save their family because some angel named Anna is after their parents." Jess said.

"Anna?"

"Yeah, Dean said she'd helped them in the past but she got caught and sent to 'angel boot camp' and wasn't the same as before. I guess some type of brainwashing thing but I didn't outright ask."

"Oh, that sounds serious," Chloe said. Heaven brainwashing its angels. That in itself told Chloe that something shady was going on up above.

"Tell me about it, I'd hate for a friend to double-cross me but from the stories Sam tells me, it happens quite a lot to them." They sat in silence for a while after that until Chloe piped up.

"Uh, maybe I can show you how to draw the demon sigil later before you go to sleep. Without Cas here, you're a little more vulnerable to them finding you, also maybe we should go to the store, because who knows when your boys will be back." Chloe looked around at the junk food and Jessica nodded.

"Thanks, that'd be nice."

Chloe watched the girl drink her soda before she turned back to the movie as well.


	32. Demons in the Supermarket

**(Jess's POV)**

The next morning Jessica woke up slowly. It was as if she couldn't move correctly. She felt a little wonky but she shrugged it off and got up out of the old motel bed.

"You okay?" Jess looked over at Chloe, still in the same clothes as yesterday.

"Yeah...a little dizzy. Must have been all that junk food or something."

"You wanna go and get some medicine?" Jess contemplated her options. She didn't want to stray too far away from the motel just in case the boys came back quicker than expected, but she wasn't feeling so great either. The latter option won out.

"Eh...I dunno, I'm probably still tired from yesterday, and I haven't had real food in a couple of days... Maybe I should drink some water?" Chloe sighed before she drew the curtain back from the window. 'It was too bright today.' Jess thought as she turned back to Chloe.

"I could go and you could stay." 

"No, No I should go. Stretch my legs a bit." Jess grumbled and rubbed her eyes, "I'll go with, just give me twenty minutes to wash up and find something clean to wear." Jess smiled and made for the bathroom. Her feeling bad probably had to do with life on the road. She'd have to eat more like Sam and less like Dean if she wanted to stay healthy. 

• • • • • •

"I know we're only in a motel so I was thinking microwavable food but not that T.V. dinner crap that tastes like cardboard. I don't know why people even eat that stuff."

"How about some Asian food," Chloe suggested and Jess only nodded as she grabbed a buggy from the entrance of the small market. There were a few people walking around but the market was mostly empty.

"Make sure to get some fruit or something. I don't want Castiel scolding me for not taking care of you." Chloe told her and Jess nodded as they passed the fruit. Apples made their way into the buggy.

"Should I get Dean a pie? They're his favorite." Jessica said to herself and got one just in case. They'd probably be hungry after the trip back. 

For the next hour, the two girls shopped for supplies but they mostly just talked; nothing in particular, just small talk like what types of food they preferred. 

Jess was in the drink packet aisle while Chloe had gone to grab some ice cream for them. Jess wanted a lemonade drink but couldn't find the right brand she wanted. After standing there for what seemed like forever a stranger walked up to her. It was an elderly lady, but she looked confused and turned to Jessica.

"Oh, would you help me, dear? My grandson loves these mixes but I want to get him the best brand." Jess smiled at the old lady and nodded.

"Well you can never go wrong with cryst-" Jess started to say but looked into the woman's eyes...something was off. She looked back at the packets for a few seconds and grabbed a few boxes, turned to the lady, and muttered a word under her breath.

"Christo." The lady flinched and wiped at her neck her eyes flicking black for a brief moment. Demon. She was standing next to a demon...and she had no way to protect herself.

"I beg your pardon?" She asked.

Jess looked over the demon's shoulder to see a burly dude coming her way. 'Not good' Jess thought as she looked back at the grandma demon.

"Oh, there he is now," Jess said and pointed behind the demon's head. She then hastily flung the drink packets towards the lady and bolted down the aisle. It distracted the demon long enough for Jessica to get a couple of feet ahead of her. She whipped her head back to see grandma and the big demon racing after her. She called back to them.

"Hope your grandson enjoys the kool-aid." Jess booked it around the corner and knocked right into Chloe's side with a frantic look on her face.

"What's wrong Jessica?" Jess grabbed Chloe's arm and dragged her quickly away, eyes wide.

"That lady...she's a demon, and so was her grandson. We gotta go, like now. "

Chloe's face immediately changed as they both ran around the store, their food forgotten. They passed a boy, who was stood by the fruit. He smirked at them before his eyes changed to black and started to run for them.

Jessica hadn't noticed this though as she looked around at the demons surrounding them."Chloe, what do we do? I don't know enough Latin yet to exorcise any of them!"

The demon jerked away from Jessica and turned quickly. She grabbed at the Mediterranean woman on her right and swiftly snapped her neck before moving on to the next person to take them out. Jess grabbed Chloe again.

"Hey, those are people! We can save them!" Chloe pulled away from the girl before she snarled.

"No! They're demons, Jessica! They're here to kill you. I can teleport us out of here, but I have to make sure no one latches on to me which isn't possible at the moment." Chloe grabbed a kid and flung him into a register nearby.

Jessica backed away from Chloe as she rammed one demons' face into another and they both fell to the ground in a heap. She flung another demon into the wall and got into a fight with a third one. If Chloe wasn't an angel then how could she teleport? Could she really trust her? Jess wondered as she backed up to get out of her way and bumped into someone. 

"Well hello there, girlie!" His hand latched onto Jess's arm and pulled her body against him. She turned enough to see a guy who also had black eyes. She tried to break his death grip from him but it was no use.

"Don't struggle, darling', it'll all be over soon." Jess stilled and tried not to be sick as blood rushed to her head. She turned her face away to the right. Another demon, the brute from before in the drink mix aisle stood there as well.

From what she learned in self-defense classes in college, she took her right arm and slammed back with her elbow to the demon's hip giving her enough of a view to stomp down on his foot. Despite the demon having supernatural strength or something, Jessica's attack gave her enough time to shove her hand to grab her water gun.

"Yeah, you're right." As soon as the words left Jess's lips, she sprayed her water gun and shot the demon right in the neck. Smoke rose up into the air as the demon stumbled backward. He dropped Jessica and hissed at her, trying to claw at the burning skin she had sprayed. The brute flung her into the shelving but she still sprayed him right in the face. She rolled over onto her knees and sucked in a breath.

"HOLY WATER!" Jess yelled as she scrambled up from the ground and sprayed the demons in the face once more before she bolted to the front doors of the store. It was as if everyone in the store had obsidian black eyes which was not good at all.

"Chloe, we gotta go!" Jessica grabbed her arm and spun her away from the demon she was battling. Chloe's eyes flashed black and Jessica gasped. Chloe shoved the demon away before she faced Jess and her water gun, again.

"Look, I'll explain everything, let's just get outta here!"

Jessica froze, the demons around the store were starting to circle around them. 

'Chloe's one of them? How did I miss that?' Jess thought to herself.

She had put her trust in a demon, but demons were bad weren't they? Why had Cas of all people asked a demon to watch her? She didn't think Castiel would trust a demon but if he had actually told her to keep her safe then they must be in more trouble than she thought they were in. She looked around the shop to see all the dead demons. Chloe was a demon who had killed her own kind, for _her_. Someone she'd never met before...a stranger. Why? 

"Look Jess, let's go!" Chloe kicked a small girl away from them both before she grabbed Jess's hand. Jess numbly followed her quickly out of the supermarket and down the aisle of cars.

"This should hide us long enough to disappear. You're gonna want to hold tight." Chloe said and Jess didn't have time to blink before a sick feeling sprang up in her stomach. She grabbed onto Chloe's shoulder and the next thing she knew they were back in the motel room.

"Okay, no more supermarkets. Let's just get a pizza instead." Chloe said, but Jessica was silent. The day's events and Chloe were shocking her quite a bit and she wasn't sure what Castiel had gotten her into.


	33. Revelations and Forgiveness

It was quiet in the motel. She ignored Chloe's question about dinner and vanished into the bathroom, taking the necessary precautions to write a devil's trap on the bathroom door for security. This effectively kept Chloe from opening the bathroom door and getting inside where Jess was sitting...in the bathtub.

Jess had been sitting there for a couple of hours as she waited on her trio to return. The only thing she wanted right now was a hug from Sam and for Castiel to explain what the heck was going on. Why hadn't Chloe been honest in the first place? She couldn't trust her, not until the boys returned. 

"Jessica?" Chloe had been parked on the other side of the bathroom door for who knows how long. Collectively they both knew that Chloe had messed up and both women weren't sure how to fix all this.

"Jessica...can we talk?" The demon asked and then heard something like a shuffle in the bathroom, moments later the door cracked open and Jess's head poked out.

"What do you want?"

"Can we talk...can I explain myself?" Jessica was silent for a beat and then nodded so Chloe began her tale.

"So you already know I'm a demon. Hmm well, I've been watching you...not in the stalking creepy way. Anyway, the Winchesters are two people of interest to me."

Jess pushed the door open a bit more as she asked, "Why is that?"

"Ever since Sam killed big bad Lilith and unleashed Lucifer from his cage, I've been curious about which side he would choose. Heaven or Hell you know, that sort of thing. I didn't want to hurt the brothers or have anything to do with them at all but then feathers showed up–"

"You mean Castiel?" Chloe nodded at the question and then looked around the room as she continued.

"He told me that I was destined to help you, that it was some prophecy or something." Jessica moved away from the door and over the threshold to sit beside Chloe.

"Do you think he's telling the truth? Do you think you're supposed to help us?" Chloe blew air from her mouth to cool her forehead.

"Honestly, I think my boss is gonna figure out what I'm doing and sic hellhounds on me before the night is up. I didn't kill all of those demons. I'm sure one is reporting me right now!"

"Your boss would really do that, and your friends–" Chloe interrupted Jess who was kinda confused.

"They're not my friends or family. They're vile and sick and only do what pleases themselves. Of course, I'm no better. Everyone is picking a side, but me, I'm just tired. I'm tired of all the deals and destruction. I want something more, you know?"

"Then why did you become a demon?" Chloe rolled her eyes before she replied

"I didn't become a demon because I wanted to, a deal was made, my soul was bought and I didn't have a say..." Jessica's gaze on the demon intensified.

"What happened?"

Chloe shrugged, "There was an accident...a drunk driver... I was brain dead. My brother didn't know what to do. He made a deal with something called a crossroads demon and I woke up in my bedroom. I was completely fine for a month then I died again. Hellhounds tore my brother and me to shreds. We both went to Hell. Aaron is still there I guess in some management position...I haven't seen him in nine years."

Tears ran down Jess's face she listened to Chloe tell her story. It reminded her of something very similar...something her father had done right after her mother had died.

"You alright?"

Jess swiped at her eyes, "Yeah...your story just brings up bad memories is all. My father...one night hit a car, he was drunk and the people died. The newspaper said it was the worst vehicle wreck on the Ohio turnpike in years. Sounds similar to your situation...I actually haven't thought about it for a few years now."

Chloe's head snapped to attention at the girl's words. "Ohio? Jess? How... How could you know that?" 

"Know wh-"Jessica stopped and it all fell into place. She placed a hand over her mouth to hush the garbled cry coming out of her mouth. Chloe settled herself nearer to the girl.

"Tell me what happened?" 

"My mom had just passed away from cancer. My father...couldn't handle it so he left. We lived in Connecticut at the time so he was driving home to get me...Chloe, I'm so sorry." The demon wiped at her eyes before she placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You're a demon because of...what my father did. I-"

"It's not you're fault, okay. If there's anyone to blame it's this British bucket of crap. My boss has never played nice and never will, he's the one who holds my deal."

Jessica's tears started drying on her face, "There's no way to break it?"

"Oh, sure there is, it's just he's too clingy. He'll never let me go...just like any other demon; he's greedy." Chloe said and then tilted her head to the side. "Maybe this whole prophecy business is legit...since we're obviously connected. Maybe I am supposed to help you for as long as I can."

Jess smiled before she helped Chloe off the hard flooring. Though she was a demon, she had been charged with keeping the girl safe, Jessica had a feeling that Chloe truly meant her no harm. She had to believe that they had been slotted together for a reason.

"So, your body is yours then?"

"Yep, just soulless." Chloe tossed her leather jacket on the back of one of the motel's chairs. "Technically I shouldn't care about any of this but I have some motivation, of course, you have to be determined if you wanna make it in sales. Still...I'd like my soul back."

"Maybe Castiel could help?"

"That doesn't seem likely Jess, I don't think he likes me. I'm just another pencil to be pushed," Chloe said and plopped down on the sofa and flicked on the tv, another cheesy movie was on but it wasn't like they'd be watching anything else so Chloe just let it play.

Jessica joined the demon on the couch "What? No. Cas wouldn't do that, he's the nicest guy, well angel I know," Jess said as they situated themselves further on the couch.

"You'd be surprised." 

Jess offered Chloe some candy and then asked. "Why do you suppose those demons were trying to kill me earlier? I mean...I'm no one."

Chloe shrugged her shoulders and accepted a candy. "I'm not for sure but it's probably because you're shacked up with the Winchesters...they'll be after you because, in this neverending war, you'd make wonderful leverage probably for either side."

Jessica stared at the television and watched some commercials about a lawnmower. She never even thought that just being with the brothers would cause both Heaven and Hell to come after her. Of course, she had been thrust into this life quite quickly and a lot had already gone down with big players like Lucifer and even that one demon...Meg.

She still had nightmares about hellhounds ripping them all apart back in that tiny town.

"So, I'm not safe?"

"No one is Jess." Chloe said and snacked on the candy, "Not in this world at least, but being around those brothers isn't going to help you. The best thing would've been for you hightail out of here after you met them and started over but now it's too late. They've seen us together too so if you weren't chained to this life before you are now."

The past few weeks had been quite a rude awakening for the newbie hunter and she was starting to think that the previous decision to dedicate her life to stopping the supernatural was going to be a lot more difficult if she and the boys were gonna be on the run for the rest of their lives. Still, she had nothing but this and she wasn't gonna go out without a fight. This was _her_ life now after all.

"Also, do you always smell like rotten eggs?" She asked gently trying not to pry even though she was curious. 

"Unfortunately but it's only when I manifest or teleport. Now, I've got one question?" Chloe said as a new movie started on the screen though they weren't paying attention to the tv anymore.

"Shoot!"

"Do you always carry a water gun loaded with holy water?" The demon asked which caused Jess to laugh.

For some reason, fate had brought them together and Jessica wasn't sure how...but considering all they'd had just been through it seemed easier if they just stuck together now. She'd figure out telling Sam and Dean about Chloe some other time.

• • • • • •

**(Dean's POV)**

Michael sent them back in the early morning. Dean immediately saw Jessica asleep in one of the beds once he got over the time travel wooziness. She looked to be in one piece which sent an instant calm over him. The second thing he saw was demon sigils on the door. Maybe Jess had called Bobby or Cas had done them, he didn't know but he was glad that they were there and he was also glad they were back and intact.

They had risked Jess's life by leaving her here alone...even with the room warded, being in a different time with no way to help her if something were to happen hadn't sat right with him. But he had to try and save his mom and dad...

They let her sleep as Dean pulled out a bottle. Sam was doing something with some cups when across the room when he yelled out. Dean whipped around to see Cas barely standing.

"Castiel!" Sam quickly grabbed the angel so he didn't fall.

"Whoa, hey hey!" Dean moved over to help his brother who was trying to hold Cas up. Dean immediately reached out for both of them, trying to keep them all upright. The angel looked like he was about to pass out.

"Cas!"

The commotion woke Jessica and she sent a smile their way until she saw Castiel stumble over his feet. She darted out of bed and hustled over to his side to help.

"I'm very surprised." He said and then his weight dropped. Jess moved out of the way so the boys could sit him down on her bed. She patted Cas's hand in a comforting way even though he was unconscious. The three shared a look and the brothers explained what went down with Cas and their parents.

"So you couldn't save them?" She asked quietly Sam shrugged and looked away. Jessica's question was answered. "That's terrible, all of it for-" She sighed and trailed off. 

He knew all too well the look that had taken over the girl's face. She was sad for them and for some reason that he couldn't explain, touched Dean. It was very easy to see that Jessica had a lot of feelings and most of the time she projected those feelings at the brothers and even Cas. She felt for them because she had been where they were and vice versa. They were all orphans.

Dean had already grabbed the bottle again when he said, "Well I could use that drink." Sam agreed and got the cups. 

A few moments went by and then Dean spoke up.

"Well, this is it." His brother looked over at him.

"This is what?" Dean swallowed the rest of his drink which Jessica rolled her eyes at.

"Team Free Will. One ex-blood junkie, a high-school dropout with six bucks to his name, an overly-hopeful orphan, and Mr. Comatose over there. That's awesome." Dean looked over at Jess who was still looking down at Cas lying on the bed, waiting for the angel to open his eyes.

"It's not funny," Sam said.

"I'm not laughing," Dean replied with a solemn look.

Sam sighed, "They all think we're gonna say yes. What if they're right? I mean-" 

"Sam."

"I've been weak before." 

"No," Jess said and Dean looked over at her. She abruptly stood from Cas' side and faced them.

"What if they're wrong? What if they're all wrong?" She kinda yelled at them and Dean was shocked at her outburst. He watched Jessica grab her jacket. She seemed angry...like properly angry.

"Tell me when it's time to go, I've got my phone." Dean set his cup down before he tried to take a step towards her. She couldn't leave, everything in the universe was after them...essentially.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked before the elder Winchester could.

She turned her back on them and shoved open the motel door, "Out, I'll be back. I just need...air."

Dean lifted his cup and watched as she left the room.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

Without another word, she left the brothers, Cas, and the suffocating motel room. Jess pulled out her phone and punched in Chloe's number as she walked to a secluded area behind the building which housed an old playground.

"What's up?"

"Nothing. Dean and Sam are just talking about giving up but I couldn't just listen to them anymore. They're questioning the future and if they'll be able to withstand their offers and I- " Chloe immediately teleported to her, sat beside her on the swing, and offered her a can of soda. Jessica accepted the can as tears welled up in her eyes. 

If she wasn't so sad, she'd ask the demon how she'd gotten the soda so fast but she couldn't think of anything else but the brothers. From what they had told her; they had given everything to take down evil and now that they needed help, true help...they had received nothing. And Heaven and Hell were still adamant about taking them.

The idea that Sam and Dean could be kidnapped any day really put a damper on whatever future for them she had dreamed about in her head. All this nonsense made her question if this was really the best path to be walking down?

"It'll be okay Jess." The demon said.

"That's the thing Chlo, I'm not sure if it will be. I don't know if I'm cut out for this?"

"Of course you're cut out for this. Word on the crossroads is Sam and Dean are the best hunters around...a lot of folks are scared of 'em. You're in good hands." The demon said.

Jess nodded, that she didn't doubt. But whatever was about to come...that was what she was more worried about.


	34. Protection Against Demons and Angels

"After everything, we talked about the other day and seeing the boys so dejected...it made me think that they had just given up. I just needed to get out of there for a few minutes. Plus you're my only gal friend...it's tough being surrounded by guys all the time ." Jess said as she halfheartedly swung on her swing. 

They'd relocated to the park across the street from the motel to talk. It too had a playground and there seemed to be no children's insight which was odd because it was a Saturday. 

Chloe laughed, "Don't I know it. Hey call me anytime... seriously I've got nothing better to do!"

Jess took a breath and looked around wherever they were staying. It was breathtaking scenery and it might be enjoyable if the apocalypse wasn't nigh. They talked for a little while longer when Chloe's eyes brightened. She dug around in her pocket. Her hand was slightly steaming as she dropped whatever she had in her palm into Jessica's. The newbie hunter picked it up. It was an anti-possession symbol.

"Noticed that you didn't have any form of protection whatsoever which isn't smart, so, happy birthday!" Chloe said.

Jessica rolled her eyes.

"It's not my birthday but thank you...this should come in handy against demons...like the bad kind." Her words made Chloe smirk.

"Just be glad no one possessed you when we were out the other day. That would've been bad and then Castiel would've killed me."

"Oh that's right, Cas made it back but he was pretty worse for wear. I should go check upon him." She said and stood, the necklace clutched in her palm.

"Bossman gonna be okay?" Chloe asked and Jess nodded. It looked like he only needed time to rest and he'd be back on his feet soon. 

"Uh, also. Here." Chloe said and gave Jessica multiple cell phones.

"Um, what-?"

"They're Sam and Dean's from a while back. That case you guys had with those kids messing around with witchcraft and the occult. Anyway, there was never really a good time you give them back so yeah." Chloe said and shrugged.

"Oh, thanks." Jess smiled and took the phone. They said goodbye and then Jess made her way across the street and back to the motel.

Once she let herself into the room they had shared, she found a note from Dean and Sam that said they'd gone to the store to stock up and that they'd be back soon. Hopefully, they didn't go to the same one she and Chloe had been to.

Cas was still asleep on the bed when she looked over. Jessica sat beside him and waited. He looked quite peaceful as he slept but she knew he must have a lot on his mind. Cas also didn't seem like he shared a lot with anyone. Maybe he didn't really have friends. 

The way he mentioned the other angels reminded Jess of co-workers instead. The angel had done so much for the Winchesters and for her. He had risked his life and fought his fellow brothers and sisters. He also teamed up with Chloe to protect Jessica, that one had to be against some rule up there so he deserved some friends. She smiled down at the angel and then rubbed her eyes, for some reason she wasn't getting enough sleep lately.

"What...what day is it?" Jess heard Cas ask and jumped at his gravelly voice.

"Oh, Cas! Uh, you've been out since you got back. That was a few hours ago and... I think you were gone for a day or so...I'm not really sure how the time travel works." She said rather quickly.

"Dean... where is Dean?" He almost asked in a frantic manner and Jess looked over at the door.

"Uh, he went to the store with Sam. They'll be back soon." Jess said and he blinked. He tried to sit up but she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Just rest Cas. I'll be here if you need anything." She said and patted his hand again.

The angel nodded his head before he closed his eyes again. A few minutes went by before Cas let out a muffled snore.

Jess chuckled to herself and started to pack up before the boys returned.

• • • • • •

"All I'm saying is if there were demons at the store, we should have heard about it. I mean Bobby knows where we are someone would've said something." Dean said as he entered the motel room and Jessica almost paused at folding Sam's clothes at the mention of demons.

"Dean, it could've just been a regular crime."

"Well, I smelt sulfur. If that doesn't scream demon then I don't know what does." Jess listened to them talk but made no move to interject into the conversation. She had decided to keep her and Chloe's extracurricular activities on the down-low, for now at least. She didn't want to worry about them.

"Hey Jess," Sam said addressing her. "You okay now?" She turned to them with a sad smile.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Some things happened here while you were in the past. I guess it just had me a bit riled."

"Nothing hurt you, right, no demons got in?" Dean asked as she watched his eyes flick around the room to make sure all the sigils and traps were in order. She could see him looking at the demon sigil on the front door...the one he hadn't taught her but he said nothing so, Jess just took a breath.

Jess shrugged and dodged the question, "I'm fine Dean. Don't worry I can take care of myself."

"You shouldn't have to take care of yourself," The elder brother said. "You have us for that."

"Dean, what is it you always say No Chick Flick moments?" She approached Dean and punched his shoulder and they left it at that as he chuckled at her and then tried to put her in a headlock which didn't work well.

But at least it distracted the boys from asking too many questions. 

• • • • • •

When Castiel was back to his normal self, Dean and Sam both agreed it was ample time to get back on the road and find a new case. Except first, Jessica needed to be protected. She wanted to make sure no one could find her and showed them the anti-possession charm.

"Where'd you get that?" Sam asked. Jess shared a look with Cas then said.

"Uh, Cas gave it to me before you guys went back in time." She said and both brothers nodded.

"It's good enough for now until we can find a tattoo parlor, but she also needs some angel sigils just in case," Dean said to the other boys in the room

"Tattoo?" Jess asked quietly, but no one heard her. Cas then spoke up and told her about the Enochian sigils on the brothers' ribs that kept them hidden.

"So basically you're going to burn some ancient language into my ribs and that will keep all angels from finding me? Including yourself? "

"It's the only way to keep you all safe from them," Cas said.

"Hey, I know this is weird Jess but it's not that bad," Dean told her.

A slight burn filled up Jessica's chest. She hissed and looked down at Cas who had his hand on her. Just as quick as it had started, it stopped. Jessica didn't feel any different but she guessed that was probably the point. 

"Done?" She asked.

Castiel nodded and then looked once more at them before he disappeared before she could say thanks.

"We'll get you settled with an anti-possession tattoo when we have more downtime but for now, here is a hex bag. Don't take it out of your pocket or leave it lying around alright?" Dean said and handed her the small bag. She put it into her jacket pocket for safekeeping. 

"A tattoo?" She asked again and Sam pulled his shirt down just enough for Jess to catch a glimpse of his tattoo. It looked like a pentagram inside of what looked like a firey circle. However, after asking they both told her it was not a pentagram, but a pentacle and was used in defense against demonic possession.

"Alright get ready, I'm gonna pack up the car," Dean said as she and Sam watched him leave said room. Jess grabbed for her bag. She was basically ready to go she just had to grab a few things. She was also a little worried about a tattoo. Would it be as painful as people said they were and how big did it have to be and where would she put it? She sighed. That was too much for her right now.

"That offer to talk still on the table?" Sam asked from the table where he was still leaning. She turned to him and blinked, quickly repeating his words to herself. 

"Oh, yeah. Course." She asked as she nodded at him. When she told him she was a good listener a few weeks ago after they lost Ellen and Jo he had basically declined the offer. Sam nodded at her as she threw her stuff into her bag.

"Alright well let's hit the road" Dean yelled from the door. They both looked at the door then back to each other.

"Uh maybe at Bobby's then?" She asked. She knew Dean would be mad if he knew they were having a chick flick moment.

"Sounds good." Was all he said as they grabbed up the bags. Jessica threw an arm around Sam's torso as they walked over to the Impala. It was for comfort and an instant reminder that they would talk when they could.


	35. My Bloody Valentine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nod to Megan Williams and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.

**(Sam's POV)**

"Do I have to go with you?" Sam heard Jess groan from the backseat which made him look back at her. She had a lore book in her hands and a frown on her face.

Dean sent him a look that said, 'Your turn.'

"Look Jess, if you wanna be a hunter then you have to learn more than just combat. You have to know how to get the information when you have to." He told her. She had to be a well-rounded hunter if she didn't want to chase circles for hours like they used to do.

"Fine I guess...but you should know, I detest skirts."

Dean and Sam shared a laugh as a familiar song came on the radio. Jessica started to jump around in the backseat.

"Dean! Turn this up. It's the Beatles!" The older brother turned the knob, and filled the car with John Lennon's voice and also Jessica's voice as she sang along.

This prompted Sam to sing along as well. Very badly.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

"So, you were the one who found the bodies?" Sam questioned the roommate of Alice who had been eaten. Jess cringed and looked around the crime scene and the blood that had been left behind.

"There was blood everywhere and other stuff. I think Alice was already dead."

"But Russel wasn't?" Sam asked.

Jessica casually snooped around the apartment. A minimal amount of pictures littered the entry-way of Alice and her friend's home. Everything seemed normal.

"I think they said he was moving or something. I really don't want to think about it." The roommate said as she continued to pack up which wasn't helping Jess create a mental picture of the apartment. She wondered how two people could even kill each other without knowing what they were doing.

Any other police officer would write it off as drugs but knowing what she knew now it seemed witchy as she'd been reading a lot of lore on them recently since Sam's body swap thing that had happened a few weeks prior. The thing about witches, they did all sorts of stuff and could hide easily.

As soon as they finished up, they thanked the roommate and made for the comfort of the Impala, almost tripping over the sidewalk

"Stupid heels. Why do I have to wear these again?" She asked and knocked into Sam's frame who helped her into the backseat so she wouldn't kill herself.

"Maybe we can find different shoes for you to wear. Nice boots or something." Sam suggested as they drove back to the motel and Jess smiled.

"Yeah...maybe we can go shopping after this case," Jessica said and then frowned. Sam didn't seem like the shoppy type. "Or I could go. You don't have to come with me. We don't uh..."

Sam shot her a look as he fiddled with the radio. 

"I'll go with you." He said and settled on a weird song about lost love and a lady blowing up some poor man's house. They didn't say much after that as Jess smiled quietly to herself.

When they got back to the motel Dean was back from the morgue.

"How'd it go?"

"No Emf, no sulfur," Sam said as he closed the door after Jess entered.

"So no ghosts," Jess said as she sat on one of the beds and took off the blasted shoes.

"Yeah, and it also doesn't sound like demonic possession either," Sam said. It was clear there was something weird going on here, but they'd need more information to exactly pinpoint what they were dealing with.

"What did the coroner say?"

Dean smiled over at Jess as she sat down next to him and pushed a bag of chips his way.

"There wasn't much left of Alice and Russel. These two just started eating and kept going."

Jess made and face and grabbed another lore book. "I thought witches, maybe an ex-lover?" Jess shot out.

"Can't rule it out," Dean said as he munched on the chips and then offered them back to Jess but she wasn't hungry anymore so she just shook her head.

"No thanks, I'll be over there researching and not thinking about cannibalism." She said and moved away from the brothers. 

Dean and Sam talked for a minute, concluded that they couldn't do anything more tonight so Sam changed the subject.

"I'm just gonna research some files with Jess then. You can go ahead and get going." Sam said which only made Dean look up from the coroner report and Jess looked up from her books.

"Where am I going?" Dean asked with a confused look as Sam rolled his eyes then glanced up from the computer.

"Dude it's Valentine's day...your favorite holiday remember...what do you always call it...uh, unattached drifter Christmas." Dean looked over at Jessica who was not so secretly listening in on their conversation.

"Oh, yeah. Well...be that as it may... I don't know. Guess I'm not feeling it this year."

"So you're not into bars full of lonely women?" Dean shrugged at Sam's words and took a sip of his beer. Jess stuck her tongue out at him when he shot a look her way before replying, "Guess not...what?" Dean asked with a cranky voice.

Sam eyed his brother, "It's when a dog doesn't eat, that's when you know something is really wrong." Jess squinted at the dog metaphor, clearly confused.

"Remarkably patronizing concern duly noted. Nothing's wrong. Now we gonna work or what?" Dean asked with his annoyed voice. Jess sighed and threw a book his way.

"Get crackin." She muttered and turned the next page of her tome to continue searching. 

• • • • • •

**(Chloe's POV)**

Chloe was a smart girl. Most demons she met knew that and respected her for it. But Kurt pushed his luck as he brought in some newbie to _watch_ her. He had sworn it wasn't a placement made by upper management but the more and more she looked at this newbie demon, the more she wanted to vomit.

There was no doubt this guy was a spy for Crowley or perhaps for her brother Aaron.

"Chloe you need a partner. You're straying far from the flock... I'm merely trying to help you." Chloe looked up from the booth she was in. Kurt seemed like he meant well and it really made her angry.

"Kurt cut the angel monologue with me. You're not some winged freak with a halo so stop." Kurt patted James, the newbie, on the back.

"She's all yours brother." Kurt vanished. The other two were alone in the empty diner.

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Okay, to be honest, I don't belong to anyone Jimbo so whatever you may be thinking. Forget it." James looked a bit stunned now that Kurt wasn't there. Chloe stood from the booth. James fumbled around in the room to follow her.

"Where are you going?"

Chloe yelled over her shoulder before she walked away. "My job! Don't follow me... I don't need a partner."

Chloe didn't know what Kurt was doing but she suspected he had talked with their boss.

"Seriously, just when life gets a little bearable. Stupid Kurt had to go behind my back."

"I would be worried too if one of my brethren thought I was aiding Hell." Chloe turned and glared at Castiel who was stood at the mouth of the alley she had just walked into.

"Well, well, well. What's up? Long time no see."

The angel blinked, "No, I saw you at least one week ago." Chloe smiled at the bluntness of the angel's words.

"Well, did you need something?" She asked as Cas peered around like the oblivious dude he was. It was like he was waiting for the dramatic pause.

"Your assistance is needed once again, to help the Winchesters."

"What exactly are we doing?" She crossed her arms. Last time hadn't boded well for her or for Jessica. They had been chased around a store...and Chloe didn't wanna repeat that this time.

"There is someone you need to meet and we need to discuss various countermeasures to protect Jessica, Sam, and Dean." He said like she already knew the information.

Chloe reluctantly nodded, "There's a bit of a problem though, I'm stuck babysitting!" The demon pointed over her shoulder, "Management thinks I've been slacking recently so I got stuck with an unwanted sidekick."

Castiel kept an unperturbed look about his angelic persona, "He won't be a problem...let's go."

Chloe was used to teleportation so it really wasn't a big deal. When they landed, wherever they were, she spoke.

"I thought you just had to do the Jedi mind trick thing to my forehead...what's with your hand on my shoulder?"

The angel started to walk away, "It's a precaution in case of unexpected turbulence." 

Chloe laughed at his answer clearly seeing right through the angel's lie. She nudged him as she walked by his side. "So you are looking out for me, huh!" 

Cas didn't answer her and continued to walk ahead. This only made Chloe's smile brighten.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

A shrill ring rang throughout the motel room.

"Sam! Sam get the phone...Sam!" Jessica nudged the hunter's arm. She herself was only half awake, partly due to the fact that Sam's cellphone was serenading the motel room.

Jess pushed on Sam's face, which startled the poor Winchester. He sat straight up and swiped at the air.

"Get your phone, moron!" Jessica grumbled before she threw a blanket over her head. This muffled Sam's barely coherent words but she could still hear him greet a receptionist from the St. James medical center.

"Thank you. Yes, we're on our way." Sam huffed before shuffling off the bed he was sharing with Jessica.

"Jess get that blanket off your head and wake Dean up. We've got more bodies."

The girl groaned and sat up, "But I was having such a good dream about Megan Williams getting invited to tea and then being captured by that guy from the Smurfs...you know the bald one with the cat."

Sam blinked and rubbed his eyes, "Uh... yeah I don't know how to respond to that."

He disappeared into the bathroom and cut Jess off on her explanation. Jess turned to wake Dean before she saw he was looking at her. He nodded his head.

"Strange dream. I'm not really up on that stuff but I remember that Megan chick. Bravest 12-year old I ever met," He met her? What? Was she still asleep? "Well, you know what I mean."

"Dean, you do know it was just a show."

Dean rubbed the back of his neck before he responded, "But she had a magical locket that protected everyone, like seriously...we need something like that, it'd come in handy."

Sam who had walked out of the bathroom during Dean's rant, threw a towel, that was in his hand, at his brother.

"There is something wrong with both of you. Hurry up. We gotta go to the hospital." Jess smirked at Dean whose face was still covered in the towel and took over the bathroom, leaving the eldest Winchester at a loss. Sam just shook his head from across the room.

"What?" Dean pushed away from the cheap towel.

"Sometimes I wonder how we're related." He scoffed and threw on some clothes.

Pretty soon the three were ready to go, however, Dean neglected to turn on the music so the short ride to the hospital was rather dull.

"Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothing's," Jess said as she looked out the window.

Sam looked through the mirror at Jess, "What was that, J?"

The orphan shrugged her shoulders, "Nothing, I'm just bored." Sam didn't reply so the Impala was filled with more silence. In fact, she had felt bored the whole time they'd been in this town. It was weird, usually, she was excited to see new places and get to bottom of whatever mystery they were tackling but now...now she just wanted to go back to the motel and throw that blanket back over her face.

'It's too early for this.' Jessica thought as they continued to the hospital.


	36. Hunters Gonna Hunt

**My Bloody Valentine Continued**

Jessica watched the brothers as they walked down the hallway of the medical center in their dress clothes. They looked so different from their normal attire of boots, jeans, and a whole lot of plaid. It was a good look for them. 

Dean had given her pointers in the car before they entered the building as the girl silently followed them. He said to follow their lead, hold herself in a professional manner, and not to wander off. 

Suddenly Sam's gaze off to the left distracted her. He was staring at a bald man who had passed them in the hall. Then she noticed Sam...sniffing...the air?

Jess scrunched up her eyebrows which prompted Dean to question his brother.

"You okay?"

Sam replied as anyone should, 'Yeah I'm fine,' but Jess thought differently. She may not be an experienced hunter, like Dean, or research savvy like Sam, but she felt like something was definitely off here. She looked back down the hall but the man was already gone. 

She felt as if she should just leave and go wait in the Impala, before she even suggested it Dean told her to hurry up and so she hurried after them.

They continued on and saw that Dr. Corman, the coroner was stood at a reception desk while nurses bustled around, and subsequently turned to face the trio as they moved closer.

"Agent Marley, you just can't stay away."

Dean forced a quick smile before and replied, "Heard you guys tagged another double suicide."

Dr. Corman nodded along to Dean's words, "Well, I just finished closing them up."

The older Winchester gestured towards Sam, who with Jess is standing there awkwardly in the busy hospital area.

"This is my partner Special Agent Cliff...and..."

Jessica eagerly popped her head around the tall brothers and stuck out her hand towards the doctor while she simultaneously interrupted Dean.

"I'm Agent Wailer. Nice to meet you." Dr. Corman took her hand giving it a generous shake.

"Nice to meet you too, Agent." Dean rolled his eyes at the girl.

"Sorry, she's new."

Dr. Corman waved him off, "It's alright. Anyway, I've finished my prelims, pulled the organ sets, and sent them off for the tox samples."

Sam nodded along like he knew exactly what the good doctor was talking about. To speed things up a bit, she interrupted.

"Great. Mind if we take a look?" Dr. Corman smiled at Jessica.

"Not at all. It's always good for new agents to experience a chilling case like this. It gets the blood pumping, you know? But like I said...their good-and-plenties are already Tupperwared."

Sam tried not to look disgusted when he replied, "Super."

Dr. Corman bid a farewell to the agents and turned to Jess. "You know, Agent Wailer, you remind me of my granddaughter. So cheerful and willing to help."

It seemed as if the doctor hadn't recognized her urgency to get down to the morgue because she wanted to do her job. In fact, it was the opposite of that. She wanted to book it out of the hospital asap and had no desire to go look at organs but she obviously couldn't say that out loud. So she plastered a smile on her face and said, "Have a nice night Doctor."

The doctor waved once more and left the agents to their duty. 

• • • • • •

Jessica watched in disdain as the brothers fondled the tupperwared body parts. It was quite revolting. While they inspected the dead, Jess looked around the morgue. She'd never been in a morgue. It was quiet and smelled like antiseptic, really two things that she didn't much like. Her time at the amusement park was never quiet but it seemed like morgues were only quiet. 

She guessed she'd have to get used to it.

Sam started to freak out over the body parts, which piqued Jessica's interest. He was fangirling over the fact that both hearts had a similar marking.

"I think it's Enochian."

Dean looked at his brother replying with a question, "You mean, like angel scratches? So you think it's like the tagging on our ribs?" Jess sat down close to the boys, fully intrigued now. She had recently gotten her own angel scratches from Cas on their last case and she was anxious to see what they looked like.

"Enoc-what'd you say it's called?"

She of course had heard the word before but that didn't mean she understood what it was. The brothers spared her a glance and silently argued which one of them was going to explain. Sam cleared his throat.

"Enochian. It's the language of the angels. You've heard Cas speak it before...these markings though it's like the same ones we have." Jessica nodded in understanding.

"How do you know it's Enochian?"

"After we got ours they came upon a scan at the hospital." Jess nodded and then asked. She wondered if they still had those scans.

"Oh...So what do we do now?"

"That's where this beauty comes in!" Dean pulled out his ancient flip phone that looked like it had been through a war.

Jess stared at the object quizzically, "A crappy phone...?" She saw Sam chuckle which made her smile.

The Winchester raised an eyebrow before he rolled his eyes and put the phone to his ear and didn't answer her.

"Cas, it's Dean. Yeah, room 31-C, basement level... St. James Medical Center."

That was right, Cas had told her that he wouldn't be able to find them due to the sigils so it made sense that Dean called him. She'd have to get Cas's number later. Before their eyes, the angel appeared.

"I'm there now." He stated staring at Dean.

Dean who was facing the angel replied, "Yeah, I get that." They continued talking to each other over the phone, standing in front of one another. Jess laughed at the two.

"I'm going to hang up now."

"Right." Cas hung up his phone and walked towards the body parts and Jess.

"Hey, Cas."

"Hello, Jessica," Cas said and rounded the table and picked up the heart, without gloves. Jess grimaced and looked around the room for some tissues or something.

"You're right Sam. These are angelic marks. I'd imagine you'll find similar marks on the other couples' hearts as well." He said and put the heart back.

Sam looked displeased at the angel's words, "So, what are they? I mean, what do they mean?"

Jess looked at Cas as he thoughtfully pondered Sam's question before he responded rather quickly, "It's a mark of union. This man and woman were intended to mate." He said and looked down at his hand and wiped it on the container the heart was in.

"Who put the marks on their hearts Cas?" Jess asked and handed him some tissues.

The trenchcoat-clothed angel seemed to shudder and grab the offered tissues, "Well your people call them cupid." 'Cupid was killing people?' Jess thought.

"A what?" Dean asked.

Castiel started to move around the morgue before he replied. "What human myth has mistaken for cupid is actually a lower order of angel," at this point, Cas was staring off into the distance at nothing very ominous like. "Technically it's a cherub, third class." Jess looked at Cas in interest.

"There are different classes of the entities in Heaven, how intriguing." She said and Cas looked like he was about to tell her more when Dean interrupted.

"A cherub?" Dean questioned.

"Yes, they're all over the world. There are dozens of them." It was odd, Jess thought they weren't real but life after she met the Winchesters, there was a lot of stuff that she was finding out was real.

"You mean the little flying fat kid in diapers?" Dean said with that look he always had on his face when he thought something was too good to be true. 

Castiel turned around to look at Dean with a look of indignation on his face, "They're not incontinent." Jess blinked and thought she should be taking some notes.

"Okay, anyway what you were saying-"

Surprisingly, Jessica, not Castiel, cut Sam off, "I think what Cas is saying is a cupid isn't following its orders so, therefore we need to try and stop him."

The boys all turned and look at Jess, with looks of surprise painted on their faces.

"She seems to have grasped the situation quicker than you have," Cas said sarcastically, which for Jessica was very funny to witness as the Angel was usually so stone-faced towards them.

"So, we have to stop cupid?" Sam asked, to make sure he got it.

"Yes."

"Naturally." Sam scoffed.

"Of course, we do," Dean said, his voice laced with exasperation. 

Well, where ever the Winchesters went the crazy seemed to follow, so Jess wasn't surprised this was their case of the week. Hopefully, they could find the cupid and stop it before things got worse, but she also had a nagging feeling in her stomach. One that she'd been having all day. A feeling deep in her that made her want to turn tail and leg it to Bobby's but she couldn't place why?


	37. Sam knows

**My Bloody Valentine Continued**

The humans and Cas were sitting in a booth at a restaurant. Jess was picking at her chicken sandwich and going over this case in her mind, as Dean asked, "So, you just happen to know he likes the cosmos of this place?"

"This place is a nexus of human reproduction. It's exactly the kind of–" Dean squirted ketchup on his burger, "–of garden that cupid will come to pollinate."

"Cas can you say anything in a non-gross way?" Jess questioned and the angel of the Lord tilted his head and squinted at her. "Imma take that as a no then." She said and looked around still ignoring her sandwich.

Dean put his cheeseburger back down. "Wait a minute," Sam started, "You're not hungry?"

"No, I'm not hungry." Jess looked startled by the declaration. She hadn't known Dean that long but as long as she had known him, he'd never been one to turn down food.

"Then you're not going to finish that?" Cas didn't wait for an answer before he grabbed the burger and almost took a bite. He stopped and looked at a couple a table away, "He's here." 

Jessica blinked at the angel. 'Castiel likes burgers. I'll have to remember that.'

The newbie hunter looked around once more, "I don't see anything."

Cas pointed to the table across the room, "There."

Dean looked to where Cas was pointing "You mean the same side of the booth couple over there?"

"Meet me in the back." They all look to Cas but he's gone from his seat next to Sam in an instant.

Sam and Dean jumped up and move towards the back of the restaurant. Jess didn't want to be left behind but looked regretfully back at the chicken before she chased the brothers to the back room. She bust through the door to see Cas with an arm raised towards the wall.

"Cas, where is he?" Dean asked as Jess looked around the storeroom.

"I have him tethered. Zoda Kama Mahrana. Manifest yourself." The angel said.

"So where is he?" Dean asked. A naked man appeared and grabbed Jessica in a hug. Jess quickly closed her eyes, not wanting to witness any of this.

"Here I am."

"Help," Jessica's muffled voice said. The cupid had squeezed her into an uncomfortable hug.

"Oh, help is on the way. Hello you," the Cupid said, and with that he let go of Jess and went over toward Castiel picking him up. Jess felt like she needed a shower and electroshock therapy to remove everything from her brain that just happened.

"This is Cupid?" Dean asked incredulously.

"Yes," Castiel responded as the Cupid continued to hug him.

"And look at you," the angel said while he approached Dean and encapsulated him in a hug.

Before the Cupid got a chance to hug Sam, he turned to try and avoid the oncoming onslaught of, was this considered affection or harassment? Sam's movement did not deter the angel as he just teleported in front of him before he wrapped his arms around the moose-like man.

"Is this a fight? Are we in a fight?" The older Winchester asked their grumpy angel com-padre while he looked at Jessica who was stood behind Cas looking terribly uncomfortable.

"This is...their handshake."

"I don't like it!" Jess piped up.

Cas turned to her. "No one likes it."

The Cupid dropped Sam as he turned and addressed the rest of Team Free Will, "What can I do for you?"

"Why are you doing this?" Jessica questioned. The sooner they got started the sooner they could leave.

"Doing what?"

"Your targets the-ones you have marked-they're slaughtering each other," Castiel responded in his monotonous way.

"What? They are?" 

"Listen, Birthday Suit," Dean said, "We know, okay. We know you've been flittin' around popping people with your poison arrow, making them murder each other!"

Cas eerily looked around the dirty backroom, "What we don't know is why?"

Cupid, who had a stupid look on his face, asked, "You don't think that I- well uh...I don't know what to say." Cupid erupted into tears as he cried all over the place.

Sam watched the naked angel crying in the corner before whispering, "Should somebody...help him?"

Everyone looked at Jess. "No way in Heaven." was all she said and looked away.

"Look we didn't mean to um, hurt your feelings," Cas said as he moved over to the cupid and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Cupid hugged Cas again and held him close as he declared, "Love is more than a word to me, you know. I love love. I love it! And if that's wrong, then I don't want to be right!" The cupid sobbed and held tight to Cas.

Castiel nodded in understanding, "Yes, yes of course. I, uh, have...no idea what you're saying."

"I was just following orders, please brother, read my mind. Read my mind. You'll see." Cas and the cupid looked like they were having a starring contest. Cas turned to us.

"He's telling the truth."

"So, you said you were just following orders. Whose orders?" Dean asked.

He just laughed, "Heaven, silly. Heaven." Heaven was commanding all this? It didn't make sense.

"Why does heaven care if Harry meets Sally?"

"Mostly they don't but some bloodlines are destinies. Like yours," he said and pointed to the brothers.

"Yeah, the union of John and Mary Winchester, very big deal upstairs, top priority arrangement."

"Wait you set up their parents?" Jess who'd been silent until then asked.

"Not me, but yeah and it wasn't easy either. They couldn't stand each other at first, but when we were done with them. Perfect couple." The cupid said. Was that supposed to happen? Jess figured that there was someone out their for everyone but if Dean and Sam's parents were influenced to love each other was it real love?

"Perfect?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." The cupid said with a smile.

"They're dead." He said in anger.

"Dean that isn't his fault," Jess said but was conflicted. She didn't know if she'd want that if it happened to her. She always thought love was supposed to be natural and consensual.

"The orders were clear, you and Sam needed to be born. Your parents were meant to be. Match made in Heaven. And your parents," The Cupid said turning to Jessica, "Well that was pure fate my dear...as far as anyone knew they weren't supposed to be together at all. Your mother was persistent though and chose your father."

Jess's face filled with shock. Of course, she hadn't known that about her parents and how could she. But really had it done them any good either. The girl was confused and wanted this conversation to be over. Jessica shot a look at Dean and saw the double look of anger he wore as he punched the cupid in the face. The angel suddenly disappeared after that.

"Where is he? Where did he go?"

Cas looked at the angry hunter, "I believe you upset him."

Dean looked at Cas incredulously, "I upset him? What about-"

"You punched a Cupid!"

"No, I punched a-"

"Dean, not helping!" Jessica exclaimed in anger, but she couldn't figure out if it was Dean's short temper or the agenda of Heaven she was more mad at after everything she'd briefly learned, about the boys' parents and even her own.

"Are we gonna talk about what has been going on with you lately, or not?"

"Or not! Come on let's get out of here!" He said and left the room. She wondered what was up with Dean, of course finding out their parents were set up angered him but he hadn't been himself all day. He felt, off but so did she. She sighed and wished this case would be over soon.

• • • • • •

Jess and the boys split up, Sam went to the hospital to check up on another body, and Jess and Dean went back to the motel.

"Hey, so, uh this guy was not marked by cupid, but his death is definitely suspicious."

"Yeah, well, I just went through the police blotter, and counting him, that's eight suicides since Wednesday and nineteen OD's-that's way out of the seasonal batting average."

Jess waved her hand in front of the older Winchester's face, "I'm gonna make a call!" He nodded turning back to the computer.

Jess saluted Dean as she crossed the threshold of the door. Her thumb clicked on her number three speed dial.

Chloe immediately picked up.

"Everything okay, Jess?"

"Yeah, just bored out of my mind. You know. When you sign up to leave your earthly possessions behind and become a monster hunter it's a lot easier to say than to do."

"Hang in there! Life is tough but you're pretty tough, too!"

Jess snorted at the cheesy line. It sounded like something that should be on a poster. "Who knew a demon would become a good friend?"

Chloe laughed over the phone and into Jess's ear, "Same, I'm glad we're friends though. Hell can get a little boring, mostly depressing honestly. We should do something fun sometime."

"I know, I could really use a day off. I miss you, I'm always with the guys and Cas. Thanks for the quick chat Clo. I really needed it."

"Anytime! Talk to you soon."

"Bye!" Jess hung up the phone and some sadness crept back into her mind but she pushed it away and sighed as she leaned against the wall. After a few seconds, she turned around to see Sam leaning on the door of the room with a look of utter betrayal on his face.

"Don't tell me I just heard what I think I did," He practically growled. 

"Sam." She said calmly and took a step toward him. There was no way he had heard their whole conversation...or that Chloe was a demon. "You don't understand."

Jessica knew he wouldn't cause a scene because Dean was just inside the room. She did know that Sam would most likely tell his brother about the phone call. 

But he had made no move too so perhaps he was giving her a chance to explain. "I understand completely." He said and turned back towards the motel room, his finger beckoning her to follow. 

Sam gestured for her to enter the room. He followed directly behind her and shut the door. Jess glanced around the room and deduced that Dean was in the bathroom.

"Look, Sam, when you and Dean went back to save your parents, I was on my own. Chloe saved my life. She's the only one I can talk to about girl things."

"She's a demon, Jess! She's literally evil!"He exclaimed.

'Shoot.' Jess thought and then whisper yelled, "No, Sam she's a girl who was forced into something she didn't want. Chloe didn't have a choice...If you'd let me explain."

"Jess we shouldn't even be talking about this. You know they're bad, they're _monsters_." He said as quietly as he could.

"I know they're bad but it's not like we have a rule book and-" She stopped. "Sam?"

Jess took a step forward and saw a tint of red on Sam's lip. Her anger from a moment ago seeped into concern, "Sam is that blood? Are you okay?" She got close enough to touch his arm before he jerked his head away from Jess and quickly wiped his sleeve over his mouth.

"Just a nosebleed don't try to change the subject! Look, we're trying to keep you safe. You decided to join this life, and by now you should know that demons only do what's in their best interest. I don't mean to offend you, Jess, it's just that demons and Winchesters don't mix well."

"Sam, she's my friend-"

"I don't care, Jessica!" At this point, Sam was practically yelling and she cringed at her full name coming from him.

"Will you two cool it!" Dean yelled from the bathroom.

Jess and Sam visibly still at Dean's voice. Sam whispered, leaning close towards Jess's frame. "We're not done talking about this!"


	38. Talking it Out

**My Bloody Valentine Continued**

Once Dean finally rejoined his brother and Jess, the three of them got to work

"What does a demon have to do with any of this?" Dean asked Sam.

"Believe me, I've got no idea."

The elder Winchester asked his brother if he was alright while watching Jess, who seemed more preoccupied with trying to find something on TV than anything else.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be alright."

"Jess okay?"

"Yeah," Sam said and nodded vigorously, "Why wouldn't she be?"

Dean narrowed his eyes and leaned toward the younger Winchester, "Look, I didn't hear your argument, but it sounded pretty heated. Just wanted to make sure that everyone is ready to roll."

"Yeah... we're okay..."

"What were you arguing about then?"

Sam got all defensive and backed slightly away from Dean, "Look, can we not do this now."

"It's a simple question, dude," Dean stated and shrugged his shoulders. Sam knew if he didn't say something then Jessica would, and he couldn't let that happen. He lowered his tone and made sure Jess wasn't listening.

"She said my hair looked funny and I was in a bad mood because of this guy. It kinda blew out of proportion. Just shut up about it. I know it was out of line, and I apologized."

Dean leaned back and thought, because to him it didn't seem like something Jess would say, but it accepted Sam's excuse. "Can't say she's wrong, Sammy, you could use a haircut." He then pulled the briefcase that he'd come in with over to them, "Alright, let's crack her open. What's the worst that could happen?"

The brothers unlocked the case and as soon as they popped open the lid a bright light escaped, surrounding them all. Castiel appeared in front of Jessica who was still avoiding Sam. She briefly smiled at the angel before he turned around to look at the brothers who were still shielding their eyes from the brightness.

Dean looked at his brother and then said, "What the heck was that?"

From behind them came the voice of an angel...Castiel's to be exact.

"It's a human soul. It's starting to make sense." Said the angel then proceeded to take a bite out of the burger that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Jessica eyed the angel for a moment. 'Was that another burger?' She then metaphorically shrugged it off...who was she to judge an angelic man and his food preferences.

"Now, what about that makes sense?" Sam asked.

And Dean quickly followed with, "And when did you start eating?"

Cas walked forward, towards him and continued, "Exactly. My hunger... it's a clue, actually."

Both brothers, at the exact same time, ask, "For what?"

Jessica tried to pay attention to the boys but found herself much more interested in staying out of their way as they discussed what was happening. Cas was going on about burgers and his vessel so Jess decided it would be alright to pop out to the vending machine.

As she grabbed a bag of chips, Chloe appeared out of nowhere.

"Hey."

"Chloe. What're you doing here?"

"Just checkin in. You okay?" Chloe asked as Jess looked around to make sure Sam hadn't followed her or anyone else for that matter.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Sam, he knows you're a demon. He's mad." Jess sighed.

"Oh."

Jess just shrugged and opened the chips, offering some to Chloe who grabbed a handful and shoved them in her mouth. They stood there for a few minutes and ate chips until Jess took a breath. "It's just. I'm not sure if I can be a hunter. I feel like I'm always in the way. What if I kill someone?" Chloe took Jess' hand and they started walking in the opposite direction of the room.

"That's kinda the point Jess."

"No, I mean Sam won't trust me now. I know he won't. If he doesn't trust me then I can't be around them. I wish Rachel was here. She'd know what to do."

"Listen to what you're saying, this is Sam. Teddy bear, salad loving Sam. And I know I'm not Rachel but, if I may be frank...the way you handled those demons the other day just goes to show that you are more than capable. It takes a little time and a little practice."

"It did take them a while to warm up to Cas. Maybe it will be like that. Anyway, maybe not pop by for the next few days unless you know I'm in mortal peril or something." Jess said and pulled the demon into a hug before they bought more snacks from the vending machine.

• • • • • •

**(Sam's POV)**

Sam was wiping his face with a washcloth as Dean and Cas were still discussing Famine when he heard Jessica come back into the motel room. He was having a little trouble focusing at the moment but apparently, Famine was here to cause total chaos in the form of starvation and hunger. Sam had that placed on the back burner because he was hungry and not for normal food.

"We should stop it," Castiel spoke within the awkward silence around a mouthful of burger.

"Hey, that's a great idea. How?" Dean asked.

"How did you stop the last horseman you met?"

"War got his mojo from this ring. And after we cut it off, he just tucked tail and ran. And everybody that was affected, it was like they woke up out of a dream. You think Famine's got a class ring, too?"

"I know he does," Cas said.

"Ok well, let's track him down and get to crackin." Dean said and crossed his arms.

"Yeah." Cas stood up and looked into the fast-food bag.

"What are you, the hamburgler?"

"I've developed a taste for ground beef." Is all Cas said.

Sam wiped his face with a washcloth again as he tried to hold in the heavy breathing. He could feel the sweat dripping down his back and he wanted it to stop, wanted it to all go away.

"Hey, Jessie, wanna help us try to figure out a way to gank this guy?"He heard Dean call out and he whipped to the door to try to close it but it was too late. He came face to face with Jess.

"Sam?" She asked in the doorway and took a step forward. He quickly turned away from her, until he caught a whiff of something. He was practically towering over the small girl. As Sam moved closer to her, Jess backed up right into Dean.

"Jess?" Dean asked as she bumped into him. Sam was starring straight at her. He narrowed his eyes but didn't want to get in between their business.

"Whatever, let's roll."

Sam who was struggling looked at his brother "Dean...I, um...I can't, I can't go." Sam said as moved around Jess.

"What?" Dean asked and squinted his eyes.

"You're infected?" Cas asked and Sam nodded.

"And that means I can't go." He said and Dean crossed the room for his bag and produced a pair of handcuffs.

"Maybe I should stay with him. You know, make sure he's not coming down with something."

Dean walked closer to Sam, "I don't think you can help him, Jessie. It's not a normal kind of sickness."

"No...it's alright. She can stay...and make sure I don't get out." Sam interrupted.

Dean looked as if he was about to disagree with his brother's words but stopped and looked at Jess, "You sure you don't wanna come with us. Could be a pretty great learning opportunity if you're actually serious about being a hunter?" Jess seemed to deflect quickly but Sam saw the forlorn look on her face.

"I just don't want to get in your way...I'm not sure if I can just kill people even though they're being possessed by demons...it's still someone else's' body." She said in defense.

Dean only nodded and then proceeded to cuff Sam to the sink in the bathroom.

"Uh, Cas. Be careful. Watch out for Dean." Jess said and patted the angel on the shoulder. He gave her a firm nod and she joined Sam before the door was shut. She sat down against the opposite wall in front of Sam.

The scuff of the dresser being shoved across the floor to cover the door could be heard and then the exterior door to the motel opening and shutting. Jess took a breath and then looked at Sam. "So...why didn't you tell Dean about Chloe?"

"We're jumping right in then?" Sam asked, leaning his head back against the wall. He didn't want to do this now, with her.

"Why not? I'd thought it'd be easier than discussing why you had blood on your face earlier...whatever's wrong with you Sam...It'll be okay." Jess said.

"You really think so?" He asked.

"Well yeah...you're one of the strongest dudes I know."

Sam did that self-deprecating smirk thing he often does before he raised his eyes back towards Jess.

"I didn't tell Dean about your friend because there is so much going on, it would've distracted him...made him worried for your safety...and I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. A while back, there was this demon I knew...her name was Ruby and she...I trusted her with my life. With Dean's life and she betrayed me because that's what demons do. I should have seen it coming to be honest but Dean was gone and I was so lost, Jess. She lied to me, made me think she was there for me only to sell us out in the end." He was worried that this demon that had attached itself to her was only there for trouble. 

He truly was only looking out for the girl.

"I am sorry Sam, truly," Jess whispered.

"It's just that you don't know the world like we do. It's dark and scary and trusting a demon usually gets you killed and I don't want you to die." He said and started the breathe harder. Jess grabbed a washcloth and stuck it under the faucet.

"I know you're just looking out for me Sam...but I don't think you have to worry about her. Besides, Cas knows her...they work together." Jess told him as she crouched down to wipe his brow.  
  
"Do they now?" He asked with a look of disbelief.


	39. Famine

**(My Bloody Valentine Continued- Dean's POV)  
**

Dean and Castiel headed back to the hospital hoping to find some answers. Unfortunately, Dr. Corman was nowhere to be found.

"Hey, Marty. Is Dr. Corman around?" Dean asked the assistant medical examiner as they passed by the office.

"You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?" Marty didn't say anything but just lead them to the morgue. 'That couldn't mean anything good.' Dean thought as they trudged down the hallway.

"Guy's been dry for the last 20 years, but this morning, he left work, went home, and drank himself to death," Marty said as pulled a sheet from Dr. Corman's head. Well, he was definitely dead. Dean sighed, this famine business was getting out of hand.

Castiel spoke with no decorum, "It's Famine."

"Pardon?" Marty asked.

Dean rolled his eyes at Cas's crassness but of course, the hunter knew this was nothing new and that the angel was a terrible detective partner...but with Sam literally chained to a sink, and Jess keeping an eye on him, the baby in a trench coat was all he had.

"Would you give us a minute, please?" Dean asked the M.E.

"Sure," Marty said and left them to mourn.

"Crap! I really kind of liked this guy." Dean told Cas. Dr. Corman was one of the very few who didn't ask stupid questions and let them do their work.

Cas looked at the body and then turned back to Dean, "They haven't harvested his soul yet." That meant they'd be coming for it eventually then.

Dean turned to Castiel giving him his undivided attention as the duo agreed that they should find out what Famine's body count was if they were to find the horseman.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

Jessica watched Sam struggle against the cuffs. They had kept their conversation light after she'd explained everything about Chloe and her deal gone wrong. Sam hadn't said much but Jessica could tell he felt bad for being a jerk about it earlier in the evening.

It was like he was some kind of sick puppy.

She wiped his brow some more and gave him words of encouragement but it didn't seem to be doing anything for him so he had slumped down shivering. Jess felt bad for Sam, even though she was mad earlier she couldn't spite him now, not when he was struggling. She could tell he was trying but it seemed really hard for him, to resist whatever he was trying to resist. She hoped Dean and Cas would hurry up so he didn't have to be in pain anymore.

Dean had mentioned Sam had been hopped up on demon blood a while back but he had given it up and if it was anything to go by, she was sure that was Sam's vice. Still, it made her think about her own famine.

Sure she had felt odd, scared, and even a little hungry but for the life of her Jessica couldn't figure out what she was trying to resist. Of course, there was a part of her that was bored...that didn't seem to care much and there was another part of her that wanted to pack up and leave but all that had gone out the window when she saw how desperate Sam had become.

Except he was acting like he was having withdrawal from a drug and perhaps for him, demon blood was a drug. The couple that had literally eaten each other had been a tragedy brought on by Famine...his power swelling throughout the city. It made Jess disgusted that someone with that much power didn't seem to care because if they did...they could have put a stop to all this chaos. 

But Famine was a horseman so Jessica chalked it up as it all this being their job description.

The slide of the dresser could be heard outside the door. Jess thought it was odd that Dean hadn't called her to tell them that they had ganked Famine but took it as a good thing that they were back already so she got up to open the door.

Sam pulled at his cuffs, "Guys? Guys, what happened? I don't think it worked. I think I'm still-" Sam was cut off by two strangers who appeared in the doorway in front of Jessica.

Jessica looked at them and then looked at Sam, "Yeah I don't think it worked either." Jess backed up in front of Sam, to keep a barrier between him and the cronies despite being scared.

The strangers kept their eyes focused solely on the younger Winchester. Jessica wondered if they were having trouble staring at the younger brother as she was standing right in front of them but she didn't have a chance to ask because the woman...probably a demon smiled. 

"Look at this. Someone trussed you up for us. Boss says we can't kill you...but I bet we can break off a few pieces." The female said. 

'Where had all the sigils gone?' Jess thought as she glanced over into the room through the doorway to find the room devoid of anything that could have kept the demons out.

They went to move around Jess but she put her hands up.

"You don't wanna do that. He is, he'll-" She started but one of the demons grabbed her and punched her out of the way. Jessica's body flew to the right near the bathtub, her head making contact with the floor. 

She hissed and looked up at Sam who was struggling with the cuffs, his eyes locked on her. Jessica struggled to her knees and fished the cuff keys out of her pocket and tossed them to Sam and then quite literally rammed herself into the demons who were just standing around like they were waiting in a DMV line. They would kill them both if she didn't do anything.

The male demon shifted back as Jess came sailing through the air but she still made contact and tripped him up. The female was going on and on about Sam and his muscles when Sam grabbed her now free from the handcuffs.

Sam slammed the demon backward crashing into the shower, Jess stumbled out into the room to get some ground against the demons. She dived for Sam's bag. looking for the demon blade. She got half of a dresser thrown at her as she cowered under the table riffling through the bag as Sam fought off the demons until he decided to tackle the female demon and started drinking her blood.

Jessica hit the speed-dial on her phone, praying Chloe would show up. The male demon decided to abandon his female partner to try and drag Jessica out from under the table as Chloe appeared. The girl quickly backhanded the male demon and he landed near Sam.

Stupidly he tried to drag Sam off the female.

"Hey, gir- is that Sam Winchester?" Chloe asked from the doorway.

Jessica scrambled up and nodded, "Yep...look I need your help."

"I don't think it's in your best interest to have him drinking demon blood."

Before Jess could reply, Sam turned to the male demon who had still been trying to pull Sam off and flung him against the wall near Chloe and Jess.

"Wait your turn." His voice was menacing and it scared Jess.

It propelled Chloe into action and grabbed the hunter and pulled her as far as she can from Sam. "Look chica, your friend here is hyped up on demon blood...and I'm not sure if you hadn't noticed but...I AM A DEMON, WITH SAID DEMON BLOOD!" She exclaimed and pulled Jessica close and whispered, "I don't wanna be Sam's second-course alright."

Jess nodded at Chloe's words, she knew she just wanted to go. Jessica was ready to drop everything and run...run far away from all this, from Sam, Famine, Dean, and Cas; stop holding them up while they try to train an incompetent newbie. She just wanted away from it all.

She wasn't a hunter and she was beginning to think she'd never be as good as the Winchesters. 

"We need to leave." Chloe pressed.

But did that truly matter...being as good as Dean and Sam...ganking monsters and saving the world and making a difference...proving that Rachel's death wasn't in vain?

She shook her head and dropped her hand from Chloe's, "No. No...we can't leave. We have to get him to Dean...he'll know what to do." She said with as much determination as she could muster. It was time to stop wallowing and start fighting.

"No, he won't! He doesn't understand what's happening with him alright...no one does. It's safer for you to stay out of his way."

"I can't do that Chlo...I owe Sam and Dean my life and besides...you work for Cas and you have to protect me." Jessica whined while playing the 'job' card.

Chloe rolled her eyes and watched Sam drain the male demon like a vampire. "Look, I work for Crowley, not feathers...for some stupid reason, I decided to help because that idiotic angel told me heaven had plans for me and I hate working for Crowley but that's beside the point. People are starting to talk...our shopping trip a few days back got to the higher-ups down in Hell. I'm on thin ice, my friend."

"Just help me out one more time please...I'll make sure Sam doesn't hurt you okay. You have my word." Jess said and stuck out her hand to strike their deal.

The demon glanced around, Sam's slurping filling the room and then down at Jessica's hand, stretched out for the taking...a silent deal. Jessica watched her new friend survey the room completely unaware of the deal they were about to make.

Sure it wasn't a contract...those were sealed differently. It also wasn't an ordinary deal. It was a promise between friends. Something that both girls knew was stronger than any binding made from Hell.

Chloe smirked and then took her friend's hand, "Alright then Jess, let's kick some butt!"

Sam, who had finished draining the male demon, was looking at them both. He seemed to be breathing hard as he stood and took a step towards them. "You're Chloe?" He asked and Jess stood in front of Chloe.

"Seems so...and you're Sam?"

He nodded and then looked at Jess, "We need to get to Dean."

"Are you okay now?" Sam nodded. Jess could tell that he was eyeing Chloe but it was as if he was holding himself back somehow.

Jessica grabbed their stuff while she kept an eye on both of her friends who seem to be staring at one another very intensely.

"Jess said that if you so much as touch me, there'll be hell to pay," Chloe mentioned in passing as they continued to have a staring contest.

Sam finally broke his stare and watched Jessica maneuver around the motel room, stuffing clothes and books into bags and grabbing odds and ends they'd left out.

The Winchester leaned toward the demon, his words barely a whisper, "Just know, I don't trust you. If you double-cross us, I'll rip your throat out. "

Chloe laughed, "Thanks but we both know that's the demon blood talking."

"Is it?" He asked and they both paused and initiated a staring contest.

"Guys come on," Jess said as she finished cramming all their stuff into their bags, Chloe grabbed their arms.

"So where would Dean go?" Jess asked.

"Well, a bunch of demons were camped out at a restaurant in town. We should start there." Chloe said and transported them to the burger joint.

"Of course it's a burger joint," Jess said and sighed with a queasy feeling as they landed in a parking lot.


	40. Safety Plan

**My Bloody Valentine Continued**

**(Jess's POV)**

"Okay, so we need a plan. How do we get Dean out of there and get Famine's ring?" Chloe asked and Jess started to sweat. She wanted to leave and be nowhere near this place but she pushed those thoughts aside and surveyed the restaurant.

"It's okay, I got this," Sam said sternly.

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Really? Would you like to enlighten the class there Sammy?"

Out of nowhere, Sam used his telekinetic powers to drag Chloe towards him, "No one calls me Sammy...got it?" He said with a weird glint in his eyes.

Chloe held her hands up in surrender.

"Dean literally does all the time," Jess whispered to herself.

Sam didn't seem to notice and the telekinetic pull ceased, dropping Chloe harshly. Sam said nothing more and retreated towards the restaurant.

Jess pulled Chloe up from the ground, "Sorry dude..." she told her friend and brushed invisible dirt off the demon.

"It's alright. I had it comin'...come on let's get in there before he blows up the joint."

"Maybe we should go," Jess said with uncertainty.

"Yeah, that's what I meant."

"No." She shook her head, "Like leave. I don't really want to go in there."

"Jess, we have to help them," Chloe said and gave her a confused look. "Get it together."

She knew there were demons and quite possibly there was death waiting for them in that restaurant. They needed a stronger plan. Something to keep them all safe...and leaving seemed like a great option.

"But the demons." She whined regardless.

"I'm a demon."

"That's not the same thing." Jess rubbed her arms, wanting to curl up in the Impala. Ah the Impala, safe and warm...a little smelly but still.

"Hey, snap out of it. We have to save the boys. I know you're scared, but it's just your famine talking. If we don't save them and they die then it's on you." Chloe said harshly and shook the girl's arm. 

Jess was momentarily hurt but she knew Chloe was trying to help her be brave. Jess grimaced and took an alternate route around the back of the building away from the direction Sam had left.

"Where do you suppose Cas is?"If the angel was here, it would be more bearable.

"No idea...I'm sure he's in there."

They stealthily sneaked into the back of the kitchen...all the lights in the restaurant were out which made it much harder to seek out all of Famine's goons. They spotted Cas on the floor, eating raw meat. Jess ran over to him.

"Cas, Cas. What's going on?" She asked but he didn't answer her. She grabbed the tub of meat and slid it across the floor away from him. He went to follow it but she grabbed his coat and pulled him away from it.

"Chlo, help me," Jess whispered. Chloe looked over at the duo and rolled her eyes. Cas was currently trying to crawl over Jessica and into the corner of the room. She went over to Cas.

"I can zap him to the car."

"Will that help?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"Can you knock him out then?"

"Can I-, Sorry feathers." Chloe huffed and punched him in the face then pulled back her hand like Cas was made of stone. Luckily Cas' eyes drifted closed and Jess gently laid him on the ground.

All was quiet until they both faintly heard someone talking.

You're not hungry, Dean because inside, you're already...dead."

"Let him go." Someone said.

Chloe took out a weapon, "There's Sam."

They moved quickly towards the sounds and peeked around the door. Dean was being held by the demon goons. Fortunately, both girls were behind Dean and the goons...perfect cover. Chloe was about to attack when they heard Famine speak up.

"Sam..."

Some of Famine's goons were trying to gang up on him but Famine immediately stopped them.

"No one lays a finger on this sweet little boy. Sam, I see you got the snack I sent you. And, I can't help but assume Miss Coleman succumbed to her famine, tucked tail, and ran?"

"You sent?" Sam asked, ignoring the latter end of that statement. Dean looked at his brother, an unanswered question in his eyes.

"Don't worry. You're not like everyone else. You'll never die from drinking too much. You're the exception that proves the rule. Just the way...Satan wanted you to be. So..." Famine lifted his hand, gesturing at the demons guarding him "...cut their throats. Have at them!"

Dean who was still surrounded by the goons yelled for his brother, "Sammy, no!"

"Please, be my guest." Famine said ignoring the elder Winchester.

Sam lifts his hand, closes his eyes, and pulled all five demons from their hosts at once. Dean who was now free watched in shock before grabbing the demon knife from the floor. Demon smoke started to pool on the floor.

Sam took a breath and then lowered his hand, "No."

Famine seemed taken aback but pushed on anyway. "Well...Fine. If you don't want them...then I'll have them." Famine arched his back to take in and devour all the souls.

Once all the souls were gone, Sam moved a couple paces forward and once more raised his hand, this time up at Famine. "I'm a Horseman, Sam. Your power doesn't work on me."

Sam, still with a look of determination painted across his face said, "You're right. But it will work on them." He said and then uses his power to rip out all of the souls Famine had just consumed.

Jess stood up from her hiding spot next to Cas who was still knocked out on the floor. They were all looking at Sam. Relief flooded the older hunters' face when he saw Jess, knowing that somehow she had fought her own famine. Jess looked over at Chloe and her eyes widened.

"Well, we didn't kick any butt." Jess laughed at her friend but then heard Dean call out for her.

"Uh, see you later?" Chloe nodded and teleported away. Three seconds later Dean walked into the kitchen to see Jess standing beside an unconscious Castiel.

"What happened to him?"

"Uh, I panicked." She said and shrugged her shoulders.

• • • • • •

After Famine died, Dean grabbed the ring and slipped it into his jacket while Sam and Jess half carried, half dragged Cas to the Impala. The elder brother turned toward Jess, "I'm glad you're still here, but, how'd the two of you get here so fast?"

Sam went to the trunk so Jessica lowered her voice after glancing at an unconscious Cas who was propped up against the car. He didn't seem like he was gonna help, so she took a breath and lied, "Well after Sam broke free and went all 99 cent smoothie sale on demon blood, I convinced him to hotwire a car."

"That doesn't explain how you both knew where to go," Dean stated.

"Isn't it obvious? He tortured those demons into telling us where to find you. Now can you help me with him...he isn't the lightest. I'll tell you everything while we drive to Bobby's."

Dean nodded and they went to work helping Cas into the back.

Sam didn't seem to put up a fight but grumbled about how he wanted the back seat to sleep on which meant Cas had to be placed in the front next to Jess. It was a tight fit but it would have to do for the ride to Bobby's. Jess quickly shoved their belongings that were lying on the ground into the trunk before climbing into the Impala.

Once that was done, Dean made sure he had everything and they set off for Singer's Salvage once again.

• • • • • •

It was early in the morning when they arrived at the salvage yard. Jessica had 'officially'' filled Dean in on what had gone down at the motel but of course, left Chloe out of it. He seemed to buy most of it and didn't say much after Jess was finished explaining everything.

"Look...I couldn't help but hear what Famine said....not all of it of course, but I heard enough. He was wrong, you know. You're not empty or going through the motions. You and Sam are doing everything to make sure the world doesn't explode alright. Some schmuck who doesn't even know you had no right to say those things." Jess said as she looked out the window.

In the time she knew the brothers, she knew that they had fought and argued but they were still brothers. Speaking out against what Famine had said to Dean was a big risk as she was new to all this and even though she felt like she knew Sam and Dean, she really didn't.

Dean didn't answer her. Instead, he said, "I want you to know that you are an important part of the team. I know this stuff can be scary and make you want to turn and run but you fought through it. Don't let anyone try to change your mind." Jess, just nodded, she hadn't expected Dean to give her a pep talk but she was glad he did.

"I was scared. I almost left but then I was reminded that I needed to get to you guys. I didn't want to lose any of you." She said and gave him a sad smile. It was easy to think of Rachel in these instances when one of them was in trouble. Cas woke up about an hour into the drive and franticly looked around when he caught Jess's eye.

"Hey." Dean looked over and saw Cas look into the back seat to see Sam asleep.

"Finally up, don't worry we got the ring," Dean said, sarcasm dripping.

"Did you punch me?"

"Uh, Sorry Cas." Was all Jess said and turned back to look out the front window. Dean just laughed at the pair. She didn't see the angel's confused face watch her.

When they arrived, Bobby greeted them and Dean quickly explained the situation while Jess went about getting all the stuff in the house.

After Sam was secure in the panic room, Bobby retired to the yard to fix a car or something, leaving Dean, Cas, and Jess in the study. Immediately, Jess started looking through Bobby's extensive collection of lore on anything that could help Sam after putting a pot of water on the stove to make everyone tea. She of course had already been through most of the books but she was determined to find something.

Pretty soon Cas and Dean went down to the basement. Jess could hear Sam screaming so she left the kitchen to check and make sure everything was alright. The younger brother was asking for help and she couldn't do anything but cry for him as there was nothing that could be done for him at the moment. Dean and Cas' conversation drifted up to Jess.

"That's not him in there. Not really." Cas said as he watched Dean kept watch.

"I know."

"Dean, Sam just has to get it out of his system. Then he'll be.."

"Listen, I just, uh...I just need to get some air."

Dean met Jess on the landing at the top of the stairs, she had moved there to better hear his and Cas' conversation. She weakly smiled as he breezed by and then booked it down the stairs once he'd gone.

Castiel was still standing by the door to the panic room when she moved down the rest of the stairs.

"Is there anything we can do...to help him?" She asked.

The angel looked at her and shook his head. "No...he has to do this on his own."


	41. Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

**(Jess's POV)**

After everything that happened, they stayed with Bobby for a few weeks. Everyone was in low spirits while Sam was detoxing from the demon blood so Dean taught Jess how to handle a gun, how to do some basic combat fighting and she dove into the world of Latin.

That was her schedule, she trained with Dean during the morning hours and by night she studied and was quizzed on her Latin and lore by Bobby, sometimes in person and then other times over the phone when they were out. Jess felt like she was back in college to be totally honest.

After Sam was released from Bobby's basement they had gotten wind of a case not far from the house and they figured, why not check it out as Sam was feeling a lot better. He was sans demon blood and clear-headed once more and Dean wanted an easy run of the mill case. So when a call came across Bobby's police scanner of a murder by a supposed already dead man they knew something was up. Sam was currently calling Bobby. He had figured that they could work the case together, get back in the swing of things, and plus Bobby knew the town pretty well.

"Bobby, listen, when you get this message, call! Okay?" Sam said and hung up the phone for the fourth time.

"Is he still not home? How far could he get in that chair?" Dean asked as Jess handed him a donut as she looked out the window to see Dave, one of Bobby's friends walk out of the diner.

"So, what do we do?" Sam asked.

"Well... Guess we just do it ourselves." Dean said as they made to get out of the car.

"While you guys are talking to the witness I think I should check on Bobby. It's been hours." She said. Jess was a tad worried about Bobby. It wasn't like him to not call or text them back.

"How are you getting there?" Dean asked her and she nodded to the guy about twenty feet from them.

"That's Dave, owns a gun shop a few streets over. Bobby sent me down there for supplies one time. He'll drop me off."

"Are you sure?" Sam asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, guys don't worry. I'll be fine." She said and got out of the back seat. They were always worried about her...and though she was still learning how to be a hunter and a good one at that...sometimes their so-called protection really got on her nerves.

Still, Jess knows they mean well.

"You got your-" Sam started but she interrupted him.

"Yep." She patted her waist where her gun was and turned towards Dave who was climbing into his truck.

"Heya Dave." The man squinted up at her.

"Bobby's girl right. How've you been kid?" Jess shrugged.

"Better I guess. I was wondering if I could get a lift to Bobby's house. You heading in that direction?" She asked hopefully.

"I can drop you off, climb in," Dave said and she sent the boys a wave who were standing outside the impala watching her. 

• • • • • •

She was back at Bobby's thirty minutes later.

"Thanks, Dave. I owe ya." She said and patted the door of his truck. He smiled and beeped as he rolled away. Jess took out her key and made her way inside. She hoped Bobby was just asleep. He'd been researching hard while Sam was on the mend and she figured he tired himself out.

"Agent Willis speaking...Oh...Excuse me?... Listen, I don't know who this is, but... this is Agent Tom Willis of the FBI." He said as she walked into the study to see it was clean, like deep cleaned. The phone call ended and Jess looked at Bobby.

"Uh Hey. you weren't answering so I figured I'd come check on you." Jess sat down on the couch and sighed.

"Everything's fine." Bobby fidgeted and Jess didn't miss it.

"I can see that. Spring cleaning came early, I take it?" She said and gestured to the room that was spotless.

"I guess. Where are Sam and Dean?"

"Looking into the Benny Sutton murder." He seemed to visibly relax and Jess squinted her eyes then took in Bobby's appearance. He had a clean shirt on, had trimmed his facial hair, and wasn't wearing a hat.

"Bobby are you, uh going on a date?" Jess asked with a small smile. Maybe that was why he wasn't answering the phone.

"What no. Don't be an idijit," Bobby sighed. "Uh I already looked into it but Sutton had a lot of enemies. Bastard had it coming really. I figured there were more important things I could be doing with my time like research." He said and gestured to some books on the desk. She nodded.

"Okay, I get it, Bobby. I know the boys just wanted to stretch their legs. We've all been cooped up. It's just when you didn't call back we got worried." She rubbed her eyes.

They all had lost Ellen and Jo, then Sam had got hooked on the demon blood and she for sure thought he was gonna die, going up against Famine. She just wanted to make sure everyone was staying in touch.

"Well I'm gonna use the bathroom and then steal one of your cars, guess I'll go play cops with Dean and Sam till we hit a dead end," Jess said mostly to Bobby but he was already leaving the room. "Okay, love you too old man." Jess laughed and made for the bathroom.

After washing her hands and grabbing a book from the study in case the case went sideways and she needed something to do in the car Jess decided to call the boys and let them know Bobby was ok and also tell them about what he said about Sutton. Maybe it could help them out, get them a little farther than they were.

"Thanks, Jess, you are coming back into town?" Sam asked from his side of the phone call.

"Yeah I'll be there in a jiffy, just gotta find a car that runs. I should be there in an hour if you want to-" She said as she walked into the kitchen to see a lady baking pies. "What in the world?" She heard the boy's voices coming from her phone, asking her what was going on but she couldn't respond.

Said lady turned around with a smile on her face. She looked young but still older than Jessica. If Jess didn't know any better it looked as if the lady had just walked out of the eighties.

"Oh hi dear." The lady gave her a warm smile.

"Uh. Who are you?"

"Karen." Jess heard from the doorway and looked over to see Bobby there with a frown that almost looked guilty.

"Bobby I thought you said you weren't going on a date."

"Uh, this is Jessica. Jessica, this is my wife Karen." Jess blinked, remembering Dean and Sam were still on the line as her eyes widened.

"Why didn't you guys tell me Bobby was married?"

• • • • • •

The boys had come back to the house hours after Sam said they were on their way. Karen had asked her if Jess liked to bake and Jess' eyes widened. She guessed they did have some time to kill. They spent the next few hours baking together. Karen had a lot of tricks that she used and Jess was sure to write them down. She felt lighter than she had, kind of like when her mom was still alive. When she was a kid they'd bake all day together.

Bobby had gotten a call from the sheriff, somehow Dean and Sam had gotten themselves arrested and they needed someone to bail them out. Jess had offered to go but Bobby said he would explain everything to the boys when they all got back, he just wanted some time to think. Now they were in the dining room eating the pie Jess and Mrs. Singer had made.

"This is incredible, Mrs. Singer," Dean said as he grabbed another piece of pie. It's not like they were lacking, they'd made at least ten.

"Thank you, Dean." The lady said with a smile.

"What? It is."

"It's great, Karen. Thanks. Could you, um, just give us a minute?" Bobby asked his wife and shuffled into the study.

"Are you crazy? What the hell?" Dean asked as he sat his plate down and stared at the man.

"Dean, I can explain."

"Explain what? Lying to us? Or the American girl zombie making cupcakes in your kitchen?!" Dean exclaimed and Jess threw a napkin at his head.

"That's enough, stop with the theatrics. That's Bobby's wife in there."

"No, it's not guys. It looks like his wife sure but it isn't her." Sam shook his head with a frown.

"You think I'm an idiot, boy? My dead wife shows up on my doorstep, I'm not gonna test her every way I ever learned? She's got no scars, no wounds, no reaction to salt, silver, holy water..." He asked and Jess moved from her chair to collect the plates.

She didn't know what Sam and Dean's issue was with Karen. She was a nice lady and hadn't tried to hurt them. She'd told Jess about meeting Bobby and how to bake the best pie. Somehow it was like Jess had a mom again in a weird way.

"Bobby, she crawled out of her coffin," Dean said and shook his head.

"No, she didn't. I cremated her. Somehow, someway, she's back.

"That's impossible," Sam said with an incredulous look.

"Tell me about it."

"You bury her ashes?" Jess asked and got looks from all three men. "I've been reading lore books for three weeks guys, come on."

Bobby nodded as he took a drink from his mug. When had they gotten the alcohol out?

"Where?" Dean asked.

"In the cemetery. That's where they all rose from. I made a list." He said and handed over a folded sheet of paper. "Uh, there's Karen... Clay... Sheriff Mills – her little boy came back." He listed off as Jess looked over Sam's shoulder to see.

"And there were no signs? No omens?"

"The lightning storms, they're just a few months early," Jess said. It was only February and Spring was the normal storm season.

"Dude I said that." He said and looked at Jess. She gave him a thumbs up.

"Good detective work Dean. Anything else?"

Bobby picked up a book near him.

"And through the fire stood before me a pale horse. And he that sat atop him carried a scythe, and I saw since he had risen, they, too, shall rise, and from him and through him." He told them in a very ominous manner.

"Death rides the pale horse." Jess said.

"So, what, Death is behind this?" Dean asked.

"Like "Grim Reaper" death?" Sam asked with a look of confusion.

Jess sent him a nod. "Winner winner chicken dinner."

"Awesome. Another horseman. Must be Thursday."

"Bobby... Why would Death raise 15 people in a podunk town like Sioux Falls?" Jess frowned at Sam. Why did he always make fun of small towns? What did he have against them?

"I don't know," Bobby said with a hint of sass and Jess didn't blame the man.

"You know, if Death is behind this, then whatever these things are... it's not good." He said and gestured for the door where Karen had left through earlier.

"You know what we have to do here." Dean told him but Jess didn't want to think about killing Karen but she'd recently watched Zombieland and while it was a movie it had a lot of good points.

"She doesn't remember anything, you know. Being possessed, me killing her... her coming back." The old hunter said. She didn't know what they were talking about. Bobby and her didn't talk about the type of thing.

"Bobby.." Dean started.

"No, no, don't "Bobby" me. Just... just listen, okay?" He said and gestured to the door, where Jess could hear the woman in question humming a tune. "She hums when she cooks. She always... used to hum when she cooked. Tone-deaf as all hell, but... And I never thought I would hear it again. Look, just read Revelation. The dead rise during the apocalypse. There's nothing in there that says that's bad! Hell, maybe it's the one good thing that comes out of this whole bloody mess."

"And what would you do if you were us?"

"I know what I'd do. And I know what you think you got to do. But... I'm begging you. Please. Please. Leave her be."


	42. More Dead Than Alive

They do just that come morning. Sam and Dean wanted to talk away from the house and the trio also needed to check on the list of people to see if they were functioning correctly. Jess liked Karen a lot but if it was all a ploy to trick them, to hurt them then the zombie-not-zombies needed to go. Dean had decided to stick close to Bobby's house just in case Karen went crazy so that left Jess with the tall Winchester.

The first house on the list was Sheriff Mills' house. Sam had told Jess that the sheriff had figured out they weren't real agents so he figured they would just have to spy on them.

"So, how we doing this. We got any cool cameras in your duffle?" Jess asked as he parked the car.

"Uh, I was thinking more old-fashioned," Sam said as he snuck along the side of the house towards the window.

"Wait, we're just gonna stare at them through their window. Sam that's weird, I got this." Jess exclaimed and made for the front door.

"Jess wait-" But she was already off and knocking on the door herself. She waited a good ten seconds before the door opened to show a woman with dark brown hair.

"Sheriff Jody Mills?" Jess asked.

"Yes. Can I help you?"

"Uh, this may seem odd but I just wanted to apologize for uh Sam and Dean. You arrested them yesterday, I figured Bobby may have said something to you but-"

"That's okay really, they seem like good boys." The sheriff said with a smile.

"How do you know Bobby?"

"Oh, right. He's kind of like a father figure I guess. He's been helping me out recently," Was all Jess said as she eyed the sheriffs' family in their living. "I'll let you get back to your family then." Jess turned to leave but Jody called out to her.

"I'm sorry uh.."

"Jessica." The girl supplied for her.

"Thanks, Jessica, Have a good day." The woman sent her a smile and Jess turned around once more and made her way back to the window.

"Anything?" She asked but Sam shook his head and took out the list. On to the next one then.

• • • • • • ** _  
_**

**(Sam's POV)**

"Who's house is this?" Jess asked as Sam looked up from the Driver's seat. The house looked old, rundown, and a tad scary but a lot of places were in Sioux Falls.

"One Ezra Jones," Sam looked at the paper once before he watched Jess grab a shotgun. "Uh, okay then." He said and followed her to the door.

He knocked but after waiting a few moments no one came to the door.

"Mrs. Jones?!"

"Maybe she isn't home then?" Jess asked as Sam got his lock pick kit out.

"Keep watch," He told Jess as he gripped the door handle, only for it to open with little resistance. "Or not, Jess." He said and made his way inside the house. Inside wasn't as bad as the outside except for the withered woman lying in a cot like bed foaming at the mouth.

"Got your back, Sam," Jess said and raised the shotgun.

"Ezra Jones? Um... Ezra Jones?" Sam asked.

She gestured for Sam to come closer to her.

"W-what is it? You think maybe you could tell me from here?" He asked but the old woman beckoned him closer. Sam shared a look with Jess "Yeah. I'm gonna regret this."

Sam leaned closer as Mrs. Jones tried to say something, but all that came out were mumbles. The next thing Sam knew he was on the floor, covered in some type of slime but Mrs. Jones is nowhere near him.

"Double-tap," Jess said as she looked at Sam on the floor looking up at her. "You good?" She asked and held out a hand for him. After he was on his feet again he gestured to the other body, an older man on the floor with his stomach covered in blood.

"Mr. Jones I presume." Sam said as they shared another look as Jess pulled out her phone and took a few photos.

"May need hard proof. It's Bobby." Jess said and shrugged.

After leaving the Jones residence they hightailed it back to Bobby's wanting to tell the man what had happened and also to make sure that Karen hadn't well gotten hungry.

• • • • • •

Jess didn't want to be the bearer of bad news but as they recanted their story of their run-in with Mrs. Jones Dean's look became more accusatory while Bobby called bull.

"She's not human bobby, she may look like it but she's not!" Dean said from his seat perched on the desk.

"Keep your damn voices down. Karen's upstairs." Bobby hissed and looked over at the hall leading towards the stairs like he was expecting for Karen to walk in. Dean cocked his head back in the old hunters' direction, a scowl on his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. We're a little tense right now. Who's old lady Jones?"

"The first one to come up."

"First one to go bad." Came Sam's reply and Jess nodded in confirmation.

"Ah, she was always a nutty broad."

"She tried to kill Sam, Bobby." Jess said and showed Dean the photos she'd taken. She knew this had to be hard for the man but Sam and Mrs. Jones had no vendetta with each other, this was purely some illusion, a spell perhaps. Dean grimaced at the now dead woman on her phone and shook his head.

"Look, Bobby, I feel for you. But you have got to acknowledge that you're not exactly seeing this straight!" Dean said and Bobby moved to the bookcase. 'Had he found lore on whatever these things were' Jess thought as she rubbed her eyes. She was tired and ready for sleep.

"Bobby, whether you admit it or not, these things are turning. We have to stop them – all of them." Sam said. She knew Bobby would be angry. If her mom or even Rachel had come back from the dead she wouldn't want to kill them, she didn't even know if she could. What she didn't expect was for Bobby to pull out a gun.

"Time to go." Jess squinted at the man, was he serious?

"What?"

"You heard me. Off my property." The old hunter told them and Sam, Dean, and Jess shared a look.

"Or what? You'll shoot?" The tallest Winchester asked, most likely testing the waters but Jess was pretty sure Bobby wouldn't pull out a gun unless he was completely serious.

"If Karen turns, I will handle it my way." He said and gestured to the gun in his lap.

"This is dangerous." Dean tried to say but it looks as if Bobby's mind was made up.

Bobby cocked the pistol in his hands. He was serious. "I'm not telling you twice." He said and also looked at Jessica as the boys walked past her to the door. She let out a breath and said in a soft voice,

"Be careful Bobby." Before she followed the boys out the door and to the car.

The farthest they went was right outside of the salvage yard before Dean parked the car.

"He's crazy." Dean shook his head as he turned the radio down so they could talk.

"It's his wife, Dean."

"So he goes Full Metal Jacket on us? We're his family, Sam."

"So is she, she may not be the same Karen but she is Karen. You can't make up the way they are around each other. The loving looks. Guys, she told me about them when they were young. I'm not saying she isn't dangerous-"

"Doesn't matter, if this was anyone else we'd take them out, end of story. So, I'm gonna have to go back there and... and... and kill her." She knew once Dean's mind was set there was little to change it. She also knew on some level Bobby wouldn't just let him kill his wife.

Sam shook his head at Dean's stupid plan "If he sees you, you're a dead man." Not to mention they'd never be welcomed back because of what he was planning.

"Well, then, I guess I won't let him see me."

"Okay. I'll... head to town and rescue everyone since we got a bunch of zombies about to turn this town into a giant chew toy– should be easy. Jess you up for it?"

"Sure." She agreed, rallying the people in town would be the next logical step.

"We're gonna need some help." Sam

"Sheriff Mills would have the resources." Jessica said out loud but she was really just thinking.

"Uh, last time we checked, the sheriff was pretty pro-zombie." Sam said and glanced back at Jess.

"She might change her mind when she sees them eating people, Jody seems like a reasonable woman." Jess knew they were giving her a 'what the' look but she ignored them.

"I guess you'll just have to convince her if that doesn't work."

"How?" Sam asked and Dean just shrugged.

"I don't know. You're just gonna."

"Wow, thanks for the words of encouragement Dean," Jess said sarcastically and got out of the backseat.

"Where ya going." Dean said still in the driver's seat.

"We're taking the car since you don't need it right now." She rolled her eyes and walked over to Sam's door so she could sit shotgun.


	43. What's Dead Should Stay Dead

**Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid Continued**

**(Jess's POV)**

As they had already been the sheriff's house once it didn't take long to get back there. As Sam parked the Impala on the side of the road across the street from the sheriff's house.

"So how are we gonna convince her?"

"I mean we can only try and ask if-" Sam was cut off by a scream coming from within the house and they bolted for the door.

Sam kicked the door in and they were met with the sheriff backing away from her son who was covered in blood. Jess scanned the room and saw a man on the floor, Sheriff Mills' husband.

"Let's go!" Sam said to her but the sheriff didn't move.

Sam got a hold of her shoulder and basically launched the woman at Jessica. Jody wasn't resistant but Jess could tell she was in shock.

"No! My husband!" Jody yelled as Jess helped the woman outside and away from her son.

"Leave it! He's dead! Listen this is Jess. I need you to stay with her while I uh.." Sam trailed off as he looked back to the house.

"That was not my son!" The sheriff exclaimed.

"You're right. It wasn't. Listen, Sheriff. Your town is in danger. People are in danger, and we need to help them now. Can you do that for me?" Sheriff Mills shook her head. "Can you focus for me, Sheriff? Sheriff?" Something changed in the sheriff's eyes and she nodded her head.

"How do we put them down?"

"Headshot." Sam simply said and looked back to the house.

"Go, Sam, We'll be right in the car," Jess said and led Jody to the Impala.

Jess could see the sheriff was trying to keep it together. "We're gonna need weapons."

"We have some in the car but may need more, does the police station have an armory by chance?" Jess asked without excitement in her voice as she opened the trunk of the car and pulled out a shotgun passing it to Jody.

A gunshot echoes through the air and the women freeze. Jess places a hand on Jody's' shoulder for some type of comfort.

"Is there someplace we would be the safest?" Jess asked her. She didn't want the woman to think of her son, not what he had become, not what he had done. Jody blinked a couple of times.

"The Jail."

When Sam came out of the house and got behind the wheel of the Impala Jess grabbed the old list Bobby had written and started calling the remaining families and telling them they needed to get to the police station as fast as they could. The car was silent as Jess yelled through the phone. Jess through the voices on her phone could hear the sheriff on the phone with the townsfolk as well.

• • • • • •

Later Sheriff Mills hurriedly showed them to the gun locker that held many rifles and shotguns as a small group of the townsfolk group gathered in the room. Dave had brought a bunch of shotgun shells from his store over that the group was grateful to have the stock.

"Is this it?" She whispered and watched Jody look around.

"Most people probably locked their doors already. Just keep a lookout for stragglers." Jess nodded and passed a gun to Sam.

"All right, if I hand you a gun and you see a dead person, I don't care if it's your friend, your neighbor, or your wife, you shoot for the head. That's the only way we survive." A man in the front of the crowd with a shirt that had some town shop on it took a step forward.

"Uh, you mind telling us who the hell you are?"

"Friend of Bobby Singer's," Sam said with a small proud smile on his face.

"Town drunk." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. She knew Bobby could put away quite a few beers but she'd never seen the man flat on his face complaining about the sunlight drunk. The mans' words put her in a mood. This guy didn't _know_ Bobby, how he helped them out, taught her the basics of hunting, how he was like a surrogate father, kind of.

"No, I – I thought...he was the town drunk." Jess saw Sam gesture to someone she didn't know sitting at one of the desks.

"Who told you that?"

"Look dude it doesn't matter who told us anything. People are getting eaten alive. Now's not the time to joke around." Jess shook her head and headed for the door. She heard Sam say something to the crowd of people but she didn't pay them any mind.

"Hey you good?"

Jess scoffed and looked out towards the dark deserted street.

"Despite people rising from the dead and what the sheriff told them that guy thought it was all a joke." Jess sighed, maybe she was being too harsh.

"Sometimes it's a lot to take in, not everyone is so believing as you are Jess," Sam told her as they kept watch at the door. "You know everything you've seen so far would spook a lot of people, especially a couple of weeks ago," Sam said in a quiet tone. She didn't want to think of a couple weeks ago anymore. "And seeing this stuff helps when we lead others. It's a hard job but.." Sam trailed off probably overthinking his words like usual.

"We can do it together," Jess said with a small smile then looked back outside. "Anything?"

Sam peeked through his own door but shook his head. Jess thought it was odd that no one had shown up yet. From all the movies and tv shows she'd seen she knew it wouldn't be long and that waiting was the annoying part. Jess looked over to see Sheriff Mills heading their way.

"Where do you think they are?" Jess shook her head. She didn't understand why no one was going all night of the living dead on their butts. It was like they weren't targeting the police station even as the incidents were all secluded but the power was only on at the police station. It was lit up like a candle for them.

"I'm not sure, it's as if they-"

"Sam we're so stupid, Dean and Bobby." Jess said as she opened the door wider and ran for the car, Sam and Jody hot on her heels.

Jess was sure Sam was breaking 100 miles per hour as they drove back to Bobby's, the street lamps and trees passed as if she were on a roller coaster. She didn't even know how long it took them to get there but when she did all they saw was the yard filled with the undead crawling through any opening in the house. Jody shot a round into the air which caught their attention. Jess took one breath before she started unloading lead into the Zombies' heads as they made their way to the front door.

Once they made it inside they found most of the dead concentrating on the closet door right off of the kitchen in the hallway. They were pounding on the door. 'Must be where Dean or Bobby were.' She thought and took a few shots at them. She got two before the door swung open and Dean started hitting the zombies in the head with the butt of his gun.

"Get down!" Sam yelled. Jess saw Dean jump out of the way and it was all they needed so they could gun down the dead.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked as they moved to the closet to check on Bobby and Dean. They didn't say anything as Jess clapped Dean on the shoulder.

"What about the townspeople?" He asked as they moved into the kitchen.

"Party was here, don't really know why. The station was quiet, so," Jess shrugged. "What now?"

"Now it's time to burn the suckers." Dean said and made for the door.

• • • • • •

Burning the dead bodies didn't take long and by the time they got back to the station, told everyone what was going on and then back to Bobby's it was about 2pm. They congregated in the middle of the salvage yard where they built a hunter's pyre. Dean had told her while they were collecting wood that every hunter that died got the same treatment. Basically it was a tradition.

"So, thinking maybe I should apologize for losing my head back there." Was all the man said and Jess shook her head.

"Bobby, you don't owe us anything."

"She was your family and I'm glad I got to meet her." Jess said and she wiped a few stray tears away. For some reason this hit too close to home for her. Most likely bringing back memories about her mother.

"Hey, look, I don't know squat from Shinola about love, but... At least you got to spend five days with her, right?" Dean asked and Jess squinted her eyes. 'Had he said that wrong?' she thought but didn't ask.

"Right. Which makes things about a thousand times worse. She was the love of my life. How many times do I gotta kill her," Bobby hung his head and Jess patted the man's arm. "You should know... Karen told me why Death was here." The statement made Jess' head snap up.

"What? Death was here, here?" She asked.

"Took a stroll right through a cemetery in the sticks of South Dakota. He came for me."

"What do you mean, you?" Sam asked as they were all hanging on to the old hunters' words.

"Death came for me. He brought Karen back to send me a message."

"What was the message?" Jess asked as she shared yet another look with the brothers.

"To stop helping you. He wants Sam to say Yes to Lucifer." It was a brutal way to persuade anyone to stop helping someone. She guessed Death didn't know Bobby all that well.

"So this was like a hit on your life?" Dean asked. That's exactly what it was and looked like Death didn't want to get his own hands dirty so he raised the dead to enact his plan.

"I don't know if they wanted to take my life or... my spirit. Either way, they wanted me out of the way." Bobby told them as they watched the pyre burn on.

"But you're gonna be all right. Right, Bobby?" Sam asked but Jess pulled on his coat sleeve to leave the poor man alone. She knew Bobby was strong but it would take time, like it always did.


	44. Dark Side of the Moon

They stayed at Bobby's for about a week and then they hit the road once more.

Bobby wasn't taking the events that had happened in Sioux Falls well but Jess was giving him the benefit of the doubt as he'd to kill his wife for the second time. Dean and Sam had told her that Karen had been possessed by a demon many years ago and ultimately died. It had been before Bobby was a hunter and he didn't know stabbing her would kill her. Jess felt so sorry for the man, having to go through that not once but twice.

She also hadn't taken it well either. Karen was so nice to her in the one day that she'd gotten to know her. The woman was cheery and loved to bake so they bonded quickly. It was as if the mood of the house changed when she was there, it was homier, more alive and it reminded Jess of when her mother was still living.

Bobby had to kill Karen which upset not only Bobby but Jess as well. It was as if they couldn't have anything good in this life at all. She felt empty after that, maybe because she missed her own mom.

The two hardly spoke for the remainder of the time Jess was at the house, opting to read in quiet instead. Jessica didn't mind because she didn't know what to really say to Bobby. He was a tough guy who had lost more than most and Jess figured he wasn't the type to be doted on and there wasn't anything to be said. 

Soon after, the trio was back on the road with a new case and everything was going just fine until Sam and Dean were killed in the middle of the night.

Jessica had snuck out to see Chloe who was in the area to do business and when she arrived back very early in the morning, she found Sam and Dean on their beds stewing in their own blood. Someone had shot them up with bullets.

To say that she freaked out was an understatement. Seeing Sam and Dean just lying there nearly broke her. Wracked with sobs she sat on the motel floor for hours taking turns crying and then just staring. Staring at their corpses. There was so much blood. She didn't dare move or touch them...she couldn't. She saw that the wounds were from a shotgun, but who would do such a thing? 

No one had been tailing them that she knew of. What was she supposed to do now? She heard her phone ring and ring but she didn't pick it up. She couldn't. How was she supposed to tell Bobby after everything with Karen and now? She wanted to vomit. She called for Cas but she forgot all about the sigils on her ribs. If anyone could help them, it'd be him.

Eventually, she heard a knock on the door, for some reason it brought her out of her mental cage. What if it was the maid or the owners? What would she tell them? How would she explain the bodies and the blood? What if the cops got involved?

"Jess." Came a voice through the door. She blinked.

"Jess? You in there?" Someone familiar asked. Jess bolted for the door and flung it open. Her demon best friend was there with a smile on her face.

"Hey girl, what's wrong?" Chloe asked and looked at Jess. She was a mess and covered in blood.

"Chloe..." Jessica's voice monotone, a lump forming in her throat from the tears.

"Jessica!? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" She asked her friend, very concerned now.

"They're...they're ..." She whispered and pointed to the beds. Jess saw Chloe move towards the boys but closed her eyes.

"Hey, Jess." At her name, she took a brief glance over to the other side of the room at the boys but then immediately looked back at Chloe and took her hand she offered. "Hey, how about we go over here. We're gonna sit in the chair okay?"

Chloe practically carried Jessica over to the chair and placed her in one not facing the brothers.

"There we go."

Jess gasped for breath, "I didn't know what to do...who to call...I—I..just."

"Hey shhh, it's alright." Chloe took Jess's hands in hers. "Take a breath alright...I'll call Castiel."

"I tried but-"She shook her head and looked at the walls covered in sigils.

She tried to breathe as Chloe let go of her and stood, walking back over to the boys. The demon quickly dialed Cas' number and it rang and rang and rang but she was met only with his voicemail tone. Stupid angel, he was probably petting a dog or something.

"Hiya feathers, listen it's DEFCON one up in here and we need you here pronto...capisce?" She all but yelled into her phone.

She had been sitting there for hours and yet she couldn't believe it...that they were...

_They are dead..._

_dead_

_dead_

_dead_

_dead_

_dead_

_Just like Rachel...just like mom._

_Why? Why now? why why why why why why..._

_I'm cursed...everyone I get attached to dies..._

_Why? Why does death seem to follow me?_

_Why...why...why?_

_Please God, please bring them back._

_Please, I don't...don't know what to do._

_I'm lost here_

_please...please...please._

• • • • • •

**(Chloe's POV)** _  
_

Chloe was still trying to call Cas and pacing the room. He still wasn't answering! She looked over to see Jess curled in on herself rocking back and forth. 'Not good.' Chloe thought. She looked over at the boys again to make sure what she was seeing, was what she was seeing before she tried Cas' number again.

'Why does he never answer when I need him.' She thought and sighed.

Chloe pinched her nose and then shoved her phone in her jacket pocket and then leaned back down to Jess, "Hey, Imma go get you another room."

"No no no...I can't leave them. What-what if they disappear? What if-" She stammered.

"Hey hey hey, they aren't going anywhere...okay J. I'll keep trying Cas alright? Just hang tight." The demon shushed the girl and walked out of the motel room door. If Cas couldn't help her, she knew a certain annoying slimeball that would.

• • • • • •

**(Kurt's POV)**

Kurt was having a great day. He'd made quite a few deals and was excited about his reputation reaping the benefits. For a crossroads demon like him, he needed the publicity. He needed something to make him stand out, to shine against the others. After another hard day's work, he was excited to pop down to the local bar and get himself a well deserved fancy drink and relax.

That all ended when he saw Chloe. He had kept her at quite a distance, as she seemed to be playing both sides for some stupid reason. He knew nothing good would come from it. She didn't mix well with this new vision for himself but they had been friends for a long time now and even he was prone to being sentimental...sometimes.

He wasn't sure what was going on with the girl but he wasn't about to get involved with all her business. He had his orders and was content to be a worker bee for now. Besides, he didn't favor getting demoted or sent back to the lower ranks...sanitation duty was the worst after all. 'Never again.' Kurt shivered at the thought.

No...Kurt was determined to make a name for himself and help his king in any way he could. And help himself of course.

"I need your help...unfortunately." A familiar voice said in the empty darkened bar Kurt basically owned.

The demon rolled his eyes and stirred his margarita, with a small flick of his wrist, "Nice to see you too."

Chloe sighed as she walked closer to Kurt and sat down at the bar with a huff.

"What's your poison?" He said to her, trying to lighten the mood. He always went down when she was around lately.

"Let's cut the niceties, Kurt...you _know_ why I'm here." She said.

The fellow demon smirked and then downed his pink drink, "Do I? Word on the wire is that the brothers Winchester were taken out by some of their own. I'd say it's been a great start to the day so far. Margarita?" He did hear about the hunter boys being gunned down and it was tragic it really was but he didn't care.

Chloe slammed a hand down onto the bar top. "I want their names."

"Look, sweetie, you're gonna have to be more specific," Kurt said and snapped his fingers making another drink appear before him. He didn't really have time to deal with Chloe and her problems.

Chloe forcefully grabbed a fistful of Kurt's jacket and yanked him up out of his stool, across the counter swinging him around so, that he knocked over the margarita onto his clothes.

"Listen here pal, I don't have the time or patience. Give me their names now." She snarled her eyes turning black for emphasis.

"Hey hey...this is Armani."

"You're gonna be complaining about more than just your silly suit if you don't help me out, Kurt!" She threatened and then slammed the demon into the bar top for more emphasis. He knew if he didn't appease her, she'd just go on a rampage and quite frankly he didn't wanna be in her way when she did. 

He knew if he didn't do something soon, he'd have more to worry about than Chloe on a rampage.

Kurt brought up his hands in surrender, "Ok ok ok...stop freaking out. You want the names, you've got them." He said in a panic. He knew Chloe was the type to beat people up for information and there was no way in his home that he had time for that.

He saw Chloe's lip turn up in a sick grin.


	45. Reunion

**(Chloe's POV)**

Finding the two numbskulls that had ganked the Winchesters had been easy. They were staying in an abandoned shack of a house on the outskirts of town. 'Idiots,' Chloe thought as she teleported back to Jessica. She hadn't moved at all from the chair.

She was no longer crying but seemed to be staring at nothing in particular. Chloe spared a glance at the boys again... 'well they were still there?' She asked herself and grabbed Jess some fresh clothes to change into _._

 _"_ How about a nice bath Jess? It'll make you feel better."

The twenty-three-year-old shook her head, "I don't think I'll ever be better again. No amount of bathing can fix this Chlo. I lost Rachel, Ellen, Jo...even Karen despite her being undead and now....now—" Her sobs cut her off once more _._ _  
_

Chloe helped her into the bathroom and then leaned down to Jess and pulled her in close, the hunter's tears were muffled by the demon's leather jacket. "I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure that you'll be okay. I'll keep trying Cas. Just try to hang in there." Jess heard half of what she was saying and perked up at the angel's name.

"Cas, we need Cas. Chloe we need..." Jess tried to tell her.

"I know Jess, I know. I'll find him." She said and left her in the bathroom to clean up.

After another failed phone call to the angel who she was starting to despise, she left to seek out Roy and Walt at the abandoned house near the town line.

Chloe snuck along the perimeter until she found a low enough window. She peeked inside and saw at least one of the brothers cleaning some weapons. Homemade weapons. From what 'search, the net' had told her, un-permitted homemade weapons were a violation of law in these parts.

These two were hunters, they definitely didn't have their permits. She could do so many things to them, but she thought of Jessica and what that stupid angel would say if he caught wind of this. She sighed.

'Well let's just ruin these idiots' day then.' She thought and snuck back into cover before teleporting to the nearest payphone and dialing the local police department.

"Hello yes, I'd like to report the illegal possession of close-range firearms." She said into the receiver as well as dropping Roy and Walt's names and the address.

She quickly hung up before the operator could ask for her name.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

Jess decided to take a shower, and by take, she meant sitting in the tub while hot water sprayed her in the face. She was trying so hard to hold it together. She'd have to call Bobby and make arrangements...what had they told her...burial by fire? How could she do that to them? She didn't want to watch them burn. She shook her head and leaned her head against the shower wall, she couldn't think about that now.

'You're gonna be okay...you have to be okay...' She internally told herself. As the hot water cascading down on her head she could only think of Sam and Dean; lifeless in the next room. Covered in blood, dead and gone, and...she sucked in a breath but found her lungs not working properly.

Jess concentrated on her breathing.

_In and Out_

_In and Out_

_In and Out_

Air flooded her lungs but she still felt like she was suffocating and maybe she was. Maybe she wouldn't ever be okay.

Suddenly she heard voices in the hotel room. There were at least three and even though they were muffled, they didn't sound like Chloe. Jessica had been reluctant to leave the boys as she knew their bodies were of some importance to both heaven and hell as she struggled out of the shower.

Her heart immediately dropped when she realized that their bodies could be in the process of being stolen. She threw on Sam's flannel that Chloe had grabbed for her as fast as she could and grabbed the knife Chloe had also put in the bathroom with her.

The newbie hunter wasn't sure who was out there but she wasn't going to let them take her boys. She had to defend them even if they were dead...she'd owed them that much.

She took a breath and swung the bathroom door open and jumped out at whoever was in the room. Someone's chest in an awful brown westernish shirt met her gaze. Without looking she swung and almost hurt the guy until he grabbed her wrist, keeping the knife from impacting his stomach.

"Hey...woah Jess," Sam said startled.

She looked up and saw him staring at her with an apprehensive look. Tears welled in her eyes when she realized it actually was Sam. Alive. 'He's alive?' She thought and moved her other hand to his chest and gently touched him to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Solid and not filled with bullets. He was definitely there. She went to hug him but he stopped her.

"Wha- Oh." She said and let go of the knife and sat it down on the table as she quickly pulled the tall man into her arms, tears streaming down her face.

"Jess?" She heard another voice.

Her head whipped to the right and saw Dean who was staring at her, with a look of worry, as well.

"How are you both here? I saw you dead, the both of you." She gasped out trying to break away from Sam to get to Dean...to make sure he was actually there as well.

Dean quickly made his way over to her and they had what could be classified as a group hug you could say. Jessica was still crying and muttering nonsense.

"I was so scared...I didn't know what to do. You were here for me after Rachel... and I thought I was cursed...everyone I get close to dies basically so...I'm, and you were super dead like I I- I, you guys." she wrapped herself tighter around the brothers.

Dean and Sam hold her close. Dean spoke low into her ear, "It's alright sweetheart. We're here and we're not leaving."

She was still in shock with everything that had happened and of course, she wasn't exactly sure how they were alive but she knew Cas had saved them, somehow. She took a breath, looked up towards the heavens, and thought a quick thank you as she wiped some more tears from her eyes.

**(Sam's POV)**

It was a shock in the least when Jessica came at him with a knife. He didn't know what had happened down here while they were looking for answers up in heaven but he was glad to see her defensive skills were getting better. As he shared a semi hug with the girl and his brother he saw Castiel watching them with some sort of emotion on his face that Sam couldn't place.

"I don't need this anymore. It's useless." Sam heard Cas say as he threw Dean's necklace their way.

"Cas. Wait." The younger Winchester called out to him but with the sound of angel wings, the trench-coated angel was gone.

Sam looked over at his brother who was still mushed up against Jessica's side. "We'll find another way. We can still stop all this, Dean."

Jessica untangled herself from both of them, trying to wipe all the saltwater off her face. "What's happened...what's going on?"

Sam looked at the girl whose face was still stained with saltwater and wiped his whole hand across her face to help her out.

"We'll explain everything alright, just get packed up." He said.

He watched Jessica nod and then she didn't move for a minute or two. It also seemed like she was checking to make sure that they were actually still there with her before smiling and finally moving away but not too far, to get all of her stuff together.

Dean and Sam continued to have a hushed conversation while Jessica left to throw her stuff into the impala. 

"I don't know how, but we'll find it. You and me, we'll find it." Sam told him.

He saw that Dean's face was a mirage of emotion but instead of saying anything else, his brother picked up his bag and walked past Sam towards the door, suddenly stopping.

Sam's eyes follow him and watch as his brother dropped the amulet in the trash...the necklace that he had given them when they were kids and continued out the door towards Jess who was leaned up against the Impala.  
  
Sam stood in the doorway of the motel room as Dean threw his bag in the back and grabbed Jessica up in his arms again. He saw that she was still trying not to cry and Sam couldn't imagine what had gone through her head when she found them earlier this morning. Sam took a deep breath. Right now, they were all broken and sad but Sam was also determined. Determined to find another way and make it right. 

"Hey by the way." He called from the doorway. "When we were in Heaven...we met up with Ellen. She made us promise we'd tell you hello." 

Jessica turned in Dean's arms, her face filled with more tears but through all that, she smiled. He knew the girl still missed Jo and Ellen terribly but he was glad that he could brighten the last few hours of darkness with something at least partially good.

He made his way to the pair at the trunk of the car and wrapped his arms around both of them again. He was just glad that she was there with them and they were all in one piece. Heaven had been kind of strange...but it had been good to see Ellen again as well as Ash.

As the Impala peeled out of the motel parking lot, Chloe, who was partially hidden behind a tree watched as the trio leave, a small smile painted on her face. It seemed like Sam and Dean Winchester were either immortal or they actually were more important than anyone else thought them to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is enjoying these chapters, though they are rather short...they still have a lot of great moments.


	46. 99 Problems of No Return

**(A few hours after the events of Dark Side of the Moon-Jess's POV)**

The car was quiet but that was to be expected. Dean was driving of course and Sam was snoozing in the passenger seat. Jess was in the back and looking out the window but it was too dark to see anything. Staring out at nothing was better than trying to sleep after everything that happened hours before. She was glad of course that the brothers were mostly fine but there was something about seeing them lifeless that really messed with her head. She was scared to close her eyes or leave them in case they ended up broken and dead again. 

"You can sleep, you know. We'll still be here when you wake up." Dean said, in a somewhat reassuring tone, as he took a left turn on a backroad.

"Will you though? Those other hunters killed you, Dean. You were dead." She said, still looking out the window, trying not to cry. It was getting to the point where she was so annoyed at her own tear ducts.

Dean looked through the rearview mirror, "Jess." his voice was soft, waiting for her to look at him and as soon as he did, he continued, "I promise not to go anywhere. I'll be here when you wake up, alright."

Silence filled the Impala, their gazes locked for only a few seconds...but it was enough. Jess smiled and then made herself comfortable. "I'm holding you to that Winchester." She muttered and leaned back against the seat.

• • • • • •

**(One week later)**

Jessica had been knocked out.

They'd been at the Sacrament Lutheran Milita in Minnesota for about a week after they had a run-in with a bunch of demons, way more than they could handle on their own. They then met this girl Leah who they thought was a prophet. Jess had never met a prophet so it was a whole new experience for her. Leah had visions and could talk to the angels. She wanted to ask if she knew Castiel but Leah was busy and so was the rest of the militia. Still, Jess thought that these people were doing great work.

It was nice to have backup on the hunt this time around and everything was going well, until they found out that Leah wasn't a prophet but really the Whore of Babylon, basically a false prophet was what Jessica got from Cas' descriptions. Again Jessica was so annoyed that yet what she thought was going to be an easy week turned out to be just as complicated as any other.

Leah's goal was to condemn as many people to eternal damnation as she could so, the trio figured they would do something about it. Cas had told them that all they had to do was stake her kinda like a vampire and they should be good. Cas also mentioned he had to find a servant of heaven, a true servant to do the deed. While Jessica didn't understand this...it was something she would have to ask Cas about later, he told them that Leah's father was holy enough. 

However, what no one saw coming what that Leah had, in fact, ate her greens and her Wheaties before the big showdown, and thus Jess was knocked out.

When she finally came to, she blinked her eyes open and saw that the sun just peeking through the trees and the motel window. Her muscles were sore but she willed herself to prop up against the headboard. It had been sort of stupid to try and attack Leah, who had the charge of hell but she couldn't just stand by and do nothing. There wasn't really a structuralized plan when they went into that room and of course, Jessica had seen the brunt of that.

She looked over and saw Cas lying askew on one of the beds. Gingerly she sat up and made her way over to him slowly. Her head was killing her. She must've hit it pretty hard. She looked down at Cas as she made it over to the bed. He didn't look like he was doing any better than her. She moved slowly once more towards the bathroom this time and got a towel to wipe the blood off his face. He blinked open his eyes after she was done.

"You doing alright? Where's Dean?"

"I should be asking you that. Dean-" Cas started to say but then Sam and Chloe barged through the door, guns raised and alert. 'Where had Chloe gotten a gun?' She wondered.

Sam looked extremely livid, his eyes filled with anger. Jess rose from her seat next to the angel. "Where's your brother?"

"Gone." Was all he said. What? Gone where? He'd left them? She saw the figure of Gideon, the pastor in the doorway of the motel room.

Jessica watched as Sam gathered his things as quick as possible, she caught some of his words...that he was going after Dean before he did something stupid. Chloe looked her over to make sure she was alright.

"You coming, Jess?"

She shook her head, "Uh, I'll watch Cas...be careful." Sam who probably wasn't thinking straight just nodded and then ushered pastor Gideon out the door, most likely he was going to take him to a relative or something. She looked Chloe in the eyes and the demon nodded, following Sam through the door.

Jessica watched the door close in front of her and finally when she was sure she was alone save for the angel who was dozing in and out on the mattress, she broke. Tears rushed from her eyes and fell with reckless abandon.

Dean had broken his promise to her.

• • • • • •

As soon as Cas was up to it, Jessica asked him to take her to Bobbys. She thought about calling Chloe but she figured she and Sam were busy finding Dean and didn't want to bother them. Jess spent a few days moping around but then couldn't take it anymore. She cleaned the house, baked more than a few goodies, wandered around the yard filled with various cars, and read up on a lot of lore.

She had filled Bobby in on recent news after Cas had left to help Sam find his brother. The boys were gone for a few days which worried Jess even more. She was helping Bobby fix up an old truck when they both heard the roar of the Impala racing up the drive.

Sam and Cas brought an unconscious Dean in and laid him on the couch. Jessica worriedly watched on as he slept. He seemed more tired than when she had seen him last. Instantly anger filtered through her brain at his stupidity. Sam had said Dean had been in the process of cutting off all ties, that he was gonna run away and say yes to the archangel Michael. She had figured Dean of all people would never give in to something like that because it was really out of the blue. The last they had talked about it he told her they weren't gonna go down that road, that it wouldn't end well, so when exactly had he changed his mind?

Jessica spun away and stalked off towards the kitchen to take some more pain relievers and make lunch and also cake for good measure. Her head felt much better now that she'd been up and walking but she was pretty sure she had a concussion. 

As she mixed cake mix, Jess laughed to herself. Of course, she knew that when Dean woke and saw that there was no pie, he'd be disappointed but he had run off and scared the daylights out of her so this was the only way to get back at him other than yelling at the man.

Keeping an eye on the clock, Jess started cleaning all the dishes she'd used. It had been cathartic to do some mundane chores and helped to distract her from Dean and all the people that were trying to kill the universe.

Jess started singing as she scrubbed a pan. "Angel of music, you deceived me. I gave—"

"How do you know the Angel of Music and why has he deceived you?" Castiel said out of nowhere.

Jess jumped at Cas's voice that was coming from behind her, "Woah! Cas...you scared a lightyear out of me."

The angel advanced, "Why didn't you tell me about this? Conversing with angels other than myself puts not only you but Dean and Sam in danger." He continued, unfazed that she was clutching her hand to her chest, her heart still beating a mile a minute.

Jessica blinked at his words and then smiled, "Cas...there is no Angel of music. I was just singing a song, from a musical."

Castiel looked as if he has no idea what she is talking about. Jessica's smile grew, "Alright...how bout I just show you." She said and took her phone out of her back pocket and launching the music app.

Pretty soon the opening overture was playing and Castiel, who had wordlessly decided to stay by leaning on the counter, watched as Jess went back to scrubbing dishes and humming along.

• • • • • •

When Dean woke up, he was beyond angry. He immediately started complaining about anything and everything, acting like a complete toddler in Jessica's opinion. He even tried to start a fight with Cas who just stared at him before disappearing. Of course, he came back, but he avoided talking to Dean which was basically what everyone else was doing.

Bobby who is sitting behind his desk watched as Dean paced and complained and he had had enough. "What happened to you?"

Dean stopped and looked over at Bobby.

"Reality happened. Nuclear's the only option we have left. Michael can ice the devil, save a boatload of people."

"But not all of them. We gotta think of something else." Bobby said point-blank.

Dean, who was still having a pity party continued on his rant. "Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say. But if Lucifer burns this mother down, and I coulda done something about it, guess what? That's on me." Dean yelled.

Bobby, who was still actively trying to convince Dean to change his mind said."You can't give up, son." The thing was it seemed like Dean had given up like he wanted it all to end but he was making a big decision. A lot of people would die if he went through with it. Of course, a lot of people would die if he didn't too. They had found themselves at an impasse.

"You're not my father. And you ain't in my shoes."

At Dean's words Jessica rose from her chair and threw down the book she had been trying to read, it made a resounding smack on the table. She took one look at Dean, glaring icy darts at him, and then stalked outside, slamming the door as she went. She could still hear Bobby yelling at him but she didn't look back...she had to get away at least for a few moments.

She stalked into the salvage yard, not looking for a place to stop. She knew after the last job they'd been on Dean looked tired but that didn't mean he needed to sell himself off to the war. There had to be another way. She looked up towards the sky.

"I'm gonna find a way, even if it kills me." She said to no one in particular, but she couldn't help but wonder what the man upstairs thought about all of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter follows the end of the season 5 ep 17, 99 problems and bleeds into season 5 ep 18, Point of No Return. We've merged the titles so it's easier to know where you are in the story. Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! Feel free to comment!


	47. The Other Brother

**(Point of No Return Continued-Dean's POV)  
**

After Cas left saying that something was going down, Dean looked over at Sam who was the only one still in the study with him.

"What's up with Jess?" He asked his brother.

Sam, who was going through Bobby's bookshelves shrugged his shoulders then answered, "She's angry, Dean. And, I'd say rightfully so."

"Well, I'm back now...she should be—"

Sam, who still wasn't facing him, cut him off in a raised tone, "Just go talk to her before you lose her!"

In the time that Jess had left the house, she had made a lot of ground and was across the junkyard sitting on the tail end of a car she probably didn't know the name of. Dean found her just gazing out into the distance.

When he came to stand beside her, he cleared his throat and waited.

But she said nothing so he decided to take the next step, literally taking a step forward. "I'm sorry."

"Are you?"

"Yeah, I just said it." He said with a clipped tone. Dean in fact was not very sorry...he was annoyed and ready to get this conversation over with. He wasn't one for touchy-feely moments.

"Yeah. You _said_ it, but you don't mean it." She scoffed then rolled off the car and slapped Dean right in the face. He hadn't even seen it coming.

He went reeling back to protect himself. "Ow! What was that for?"

Jessica's face was filled with anger"You know what it was for. You broke your promise you jerk! You said you wouldn't leave and I believed you! I actually believed you!" She came at him again but Dean dodged her fist.

"Woah....Jessie! I'm sorry."

"You keep saying that Dean, but I don't think you're being sincere. How long is it gonna take?"

"For?"

"For you to listen to the people around you! Stop killing yourself for us and the entire world. This isn't all on your shoulders Dean." She raised her arms in the air dramatically to get her point across.

"It's the only way—" He started.

Jessica moved back into his personal space probably to try and maim him some more. Though her words cut him more than her hands ever could. "There has to be another way. I'm not losing you or Sam again...seeing you dead and not being able to do anything about it was hell for me. And I'm telling you...it's not happening again." She said as a single tear slid down her cheek. 

He softened at the sight. He hadn't meant to make her cry. He sighed as she crumpled right into his arms. Dean held her as she cried, but his decision was made and even Jessica couldn't change his mind.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

Jess hadn't said much after her confrontation with Dean. She felt better now that she'd gotten her emotions out but she had a lingering feeling that the elder Winchester was still gonna do whatever it took to make sure that the apocalypse wouldn't happen.

Jessica sat once more in Bobby's study with another book in her lap. This one however was one from her own collection. As she read her novel, the others just muddled around.

A strong gust of wind blew a bunch of Bobby's papers off the table and into the air. Castiel appeared and with...another person. Jess rose from her chair, her novel forgotten.

"Help." He said.

Bobby called for the boys who were in the kitchen having yet another hushed discussion.

Cas led the body to the cot and Jessica helped him place whoever was unconscious down. She looked over Cas' form for any signs of injury but he looked fine. She moved her attention back to the guy on the rollaway bed. Sam and Dean both emerged from the kitchen and watch with wide eyes, with familiarity. Bobby turned to them.

"Who is he?"

"That's our brother," Sam replied and Jess had to do a double-take.

• • • • • •

"So you have a brother?" Jess asked as Sam leaned against the sink and watched as she took out various containers. She had helped Karen reorganize all of the spices a few weeks back and she was glad that she had...seeing as no one else was gonna cook food that even resembled a meal.

"Yeah." He answered and then asked, "What are you doing?"

"Stress baking."

"Again?" He asked.

"I mean why not...we have another mouth to feed, what do you think of baked spaghetti? I've never made it but I'm up for the challenge. It'll definitely be a distraction from thinking about your unconscious brother in there... you know the one you failed to mention." She let out in seemingly one breath and pulled fresh ingredients from various places in Bobby's kitchen that Sam had bought a few hours ago.

He grabbed the casserole dish Jessica was about to grease, "Look, we never mentioned it because he was dead."

"He looks pretty alive to me." She said and took the casserole pan back, a bit forcefully.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry...I'm still riled up over Dean." She told him and placed the dish down before she could drop it. It had been Karen's and she wasn't about to break it. "Well ...are there any other Winchester siblings that I don't know about?"

Sam laughed and shook his head no before asking if she needed any help with the cooking. Jess felt like he was shying away from the fact that he and Dean had a real related sibling but she said nothing and turned back to the task at hand. 

• • • • • •

Later, after Jessica had kicked Sam out of the kitchen and was done cooking she heard voices from the other room. Dean, Sam, and Cas all seemed to be arguing over with whatever their 'brother' was dishing out. She tried to block most of it out as they were all having a family conversation and probably deserved some privacy but that didn't stop from the louder bits and pieces of their conversation to fly into the kitchen.

"Maybe they're desperate. Maybe they wrongly assumed Dean would be brave enough to withstand them."

"Alright, you know what? Blow me, Cas." Jess shook her head at the vulgarity, knowing it would fly over the angel's halo. 'Did he have a halo?' Jess thought.

Still, her nose crinkled at Dean before moving back over to the stove. Just because she had yelled at him, thrown her fists up at him, and cried on him...did not mean she and the elder Winchester were square.

"Look. After everything that's happened? All that crap about destiny? Suddenly the angels have a Plan B? Does that smell right to anybody?" Sam asked.

Jessica shivered at the words. Whatever plans the angels had for the Winchesters didn't sit right with her. Why did they have to be vessels? Why did they have to sacrifice themselves? Who came up with this stuff? And now that they had a brother who wasn't dead...it's as if they didn't need Dean to do their dirty work anymore.

_"They said the fight might get pretty hairy, but it is the devil, right? So we got to stop him."_

Of course, they had to stop him but again how could they do it and save all those people? _  
_

_"Yeah, but there's another way."_

Jessica wasn't sure what to believe and even though she didn't know Adam...he didn't deserve to die again...to be someone else's puppet.

_"Tell you one thing, with an attitude like that, you would have fit right in around here."_

Sam's words made her smile a bit. It was strange to think that Adam had been out there all those years and Sam and Dean hadn't known about him...of course until they found his corpse as Dean mentioned earlier, but it was still strange to think they had a brother that they knew nothing about.

Soon, Sam rejoined her in the kitchen to tell her literally everything that had just went down.

"You know these walls are kind of thin. I heard exactly everything you guys said. Anyway, I'll give it to them, the angels seem pretty adamant about making sure the end of days comes to pass soon." Jess said as she pulled the baked spaghetti out of the oven. She couldn't tell why though. Everyone kept saying it was the end of the world but something felt off to Jess.

Sam didn't say much but he nodded his head in agreement.

After everyone ate, the boys went downstairs to the panic room. Bobby had wheeled himself somewhere else in the house and for some reason, Cas who was supposed to be watching Adam was nowhere in sight. Jessica popped into the study and saw him just sitting there. She took a step into the room to grab her book and their eyes met.

"Thanks for the meal."

"No problem, I figured you'd want something hearty after uh, sleeping for so long? I'm Jessica by the way." She said and offered her hand.

Adam seemed to grin and took her hand, "I'm sure you already know all about me...so."

"Yeah. So...uh, are you really gonna do this? Say yes to Micheal and stop Lucifer? I mean, you'll die." Jess said after their handshake.

It hadn't been a far stretch to assume that was why he was here and alive.

Adam offered her a seat, which she took.

"Well, I was already dead...besides the Angels promised that they'd bring my mom back. She's my family Jessica. If you could bring your family back...wouldn't you do it?"

Jess looked at Adam and considered his words. He did have a point and it was pretty valid. Jess willed the tears that wanted to spill from her eyes back in and took a breath.

"I think if you would've asked me that a few months ago...I'd probably agree with you. I'd wish that I could bring my loved ones back. Now with everything I know, I wouldn't want my family anywhere near this life. It's stressful, we never eat enough and we're pretty banged up most of the time, not to mention the constant state of gloom and death that follow us around. So no, I'd never wish for them to be here."

"But you'll never see them again...not in the way you want. Heaven isn't like all the stories." Adam told her but she already knew heaven wasn't what it was all cracked up to be. She sent him a sad smile.

"I have to hope that they are at peace and if I never see them again... I hope they're happy. As for your mom, I hope you get her back." Jess said with a far-off look. Ever since she met Cas she never once asked about her mom. Would he even know where she and Rachel were? He probably had more important things to do than play messenger anyway.


	48. Brawls and Battles

**(Point of No Returned Continued-Sam's POV)  
**

Meanwhile, Sam and Dean were in the thick of an argument.

"I'm serious. I mean, think about how many people we've gotten killed, Sam. Mom, Dad, Jess, Jo, Ellen. Should I keep going?" Dean said to him. Sam shook his head, the guilt trip wouldn't work this time.

"It's not like we pulled the trigger."

"We might as well have. I'm tired, man. I'm tired of fighting who I'm supposed to be." Dean confessed and sat on the cot in the panic room, tired and dejected. 

"Well, do you think maybe you could take half a second and stop trying to sacrifice yourself for a change? Maybe we could actually stick together?" Sam said, trying to convince Dean not to give up. All these years helping people and his older brother wanted to throw it away? It didn't add up.

"I don't think so."

"Why not? Dean, seriously. Tell me. I—I want to know." Sam told him.

"I just...I—I don't believe," Dean said

"In what?"

Dean shook his head but kept eye contact with Sam. "In you. I mean, I don't. I don't know whether it's gonna be demon blood or some other demon chick or what, but...I do know they're gonna find a way to turn you." So, that was the problem. He thought that his own brother was gonna say yes instead.

"So you're saying I'm not strong enough."

Dean looked calm as he continued to tell Sam the truth."You're angry, you're self-righteous. Lucifer's gonna wear you to the prom, man. It's just a matter of time."

Sam's resolve shook as he wished that they weren't actually having this conversation. He wished that this wasn't their life...he wished that they both weren't vessels for powerful Arch-Angels and for the life of him...he wished that the world wasn't ending. 

He wished for more time because if he had more time then maybe he could find a way to save his brother and the world that didn't involve either of them having to face off in a celestial deathmatch.

"Don't say that to me. Not you...of all people."

"I don't want to. But it's the truth." Dean said, "And when Satan takes you over, there's got to be somebody there to fight him, and it ain't gonna be that kid. So, it's got to be me."

Sam said nothing more and walked out of the panic room. Dean was good but he wasn't that good. Something had happened. Something had him riled and it wasn't the end of the world, it wasn't the vessel crap. It was Dean.

• • • • • •

**(Dean's POV)**

After using a sigil to get rid of Cas for the time being, Dean escaped Bobby's house and left for the city. He ran right into a preacher and found his opening. It was time to contact the Angels and get this over with. Dean approached the preacher.

"Hey! I'm Dean Winchester. Do you know who I am?"

"Dear God." The preacher said, with wide eyes. It looked like he knew exactly who Dean was.

"I'll take that as a yes. Listen, I need you to pray to your angel buddies and let them know that I'm here."

The preacher fell to his knees in prayer to the heavens. "Our father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name--"

Out of literally nowhere, Castiel appeared. 'Wrong angel.' Dean sighed.

"You pray too loud." He said before placing two fingers on the preacher's forehead, effectively putting him to sleep. Then without any decorum. Castiel turned to Dean and proceeded to drag him down an alley.

The angel threw Dean up against one of the brick walls of a building as Dean struggled against him. "What, are you crazy?" He yelled.

Cas ignored him and grabbed Dean by his jacket to shove him into another wall on the other side of the alley, "I rebelled for this?!" He said with a punch. "So that you could surrender to them?" A few more punches are delivered.

Cas peeled Dean from the wall once more and slammed him up a different wall to punch his face some more. The angel was relentless in his attempt to beat up his friend.

Dean struggled to hang on as Cas beat him "Cas! Please!"

"I gave everything for you. And this is what you give to me." He said and dragged Dean from the wall to kick him with the powers of Heaven. He flies three feet into the air right back into the fence...his face dripping blood.

The angel stalked forward with his right hand in a fist. Dean coughed and looked up at Castiel.

"Do it. Just do it!" The hunter yelled from where he was lying on the ground. He was angry and livid, but he was also tired. He wanted an out. This was it.

After a few moments of staring at one another, Castiel unclenched his fist and touched Dean's shoulder, knocking him out.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

Later Jess was turning in for the night when Sam ran up the stairs and busted through the door. He looked frantic and said something about Dean not being in the panic room.

"What?" Jess pushed the book pile away from her and climbed to her feet.

"Where's Cas?" Bobby asked from his place at the table.

"Blown to Oz."

"Double What?" Jess asked. It didn't look like she was going to bed anytime soon.

"Look, I'll get Dean. He couldn't have gone too far. Just watch Adam." He said and grabbed his jacket. Gone far? Who knows how long he could've been gone? Jess looked around for her phone to try and reach Cas. She didn't really know what to do in this instance.

"How? He has a slight height advantage over both of us," Bobby said and gestured between him and Jess.

"We could hold him at gunpoint," Jess suggested which cause both men to look at her.

"What? He's not my brother." She said as she looked around for a gun and her phone.

"You okay staying here?" She nodded.

Half an hour went by and Jess figured it would okay to take a quick shower but she was wrong. Everything was fine as she moved to the kitchen to make Bobby a coffee until she came back to the study to see Adam was MIA.

"Uh, Bobby." She said as she looked around the room.

"Hmm."

"Bobby, Bobby! Adam's gone." Jess exclaimed and Bobby turned around in his chair towards the rollaway to find it empty. Jess checked all the doors and windows which were all still locked.

"Everythings' still on lockdown. How would he have gotten out?" Jess asked when she got back to the living room. The only way out would've been an angel, most likely.

"There can be only one explanation. Look when-"

Sam walked right into the room right then. 'Here we go.' thought Jess. Bobby quickly started to explain.

"Bobby, what do you mean, Adam is gone?" Sam asked.

"Should I say it in Spanish?"

"He's gone how? What the heck, Bobby? Jess?!" He hollered as he turned on the girl as she held her hands up.

Bobby who was still sitting calmly said, "Watch your tone, boy...he was right in front of me, and he disappeared into thin air."

Jessica facepalmed. It didn't seem like Bobby's explanation was helping the conversation at all. Sam continued to glare so Jess put her game face on.

"Ok, so where would he-" Jess started to say but seemingly out of nowhere, Castiel appeared carrying a bloody and battered Dean.

Jess made a strangled noise when she saw Dean all pummeled with blood dripping down his face.

Castiel looked at them and answered Jessica's question she hadn't even finished. "The angels took him."

"What the heck happened to him?" Bobby piped up as he wheeled to the kitchen.

"Me." Cas said before unceremoniously dropping Dean onto the cot Adam had been sleeping on before the youngest Winchester up and vanished. Jess grabbed the first aid kit and sat on the cot by Dean after Cas dumped him there. The two shared a look.

"Thanks, Cas." She said and then opened the kit taking out some swabs. Hopefully, Cas knocked some sense into the idiot.

Bobby wheeled himself back from the kitchen into the study. "What do you mean, the angels took Adam? You branded his ribs, didn't you?"

Cas turned back to Bobby and Sam.

"Yes. Adam must have tipped them off."

"How?" Bobby asked and handed Jess some type of alcohol. She rolled her eyes at the man and accepted the bottle.

"I don't know." The Angel said and looked around the room...like he was checking to make sure Adam was indeed gone, "Maybe in a dream."

"Where would they've taken him?"

"I think I might know." He said and disappeared. Jess tended to Deans' face as best as she could while they waited.

"It may scar," She said to Sam as she applied some ointment. "Cas really did a number on him." Jess sighed again.

• • • • • •

"I'm going to need something sharp," Cas said as he and Jess heard Sam and Dean talking in the panic room. After a quick look around she found something shiny.

"How's this?" Jess asked and handed him a box cutter.

Cas took the object from Jess, "Yes. This will do nicely."

"Hey, whatever your plan is. Just come back in one piece okay." She said and hugged her arms around her stomach. Cas smiled at her. It looked funny on his face, to be honest, but she'd never seen him smile, not once.

"Castiel. Did you just-?" She asked but he walked around her and the panic room door before she could finish her question.

Jessica smiled to herself. 'That angel is full of surprises.' She thought and then opened the panic room door. She could hear Castiel walking back up the basement stairs.

"For starters...I'm bringing you with." Sam told him and stood.

"Excuse me?" Dean asked and watched as his brother fiddled with the cuff keys.

"There are too many of them," He uttered out and unlocked the cuffs. 

Jess mentally facepalmed once more. What was the point of them throwing him in there in the first place then? Dramatic, all four of them. 

"We can't do it alone. And uh, you're pretty much the only game in town." Sam said as Jess stood near them listening. She offered Dean a glass of water which he gladly accepted.

"Isn't that a bad idea?"

"Cas and Bobby think so. I'm not so sure."

Dean looks at Jess. "What about you? What're your two cents?"

Jess smiled and took the glass away. "You two are better when you're working with each other." She said. She knew it wasn't helpful but she knew she couldn't stop either of them. Dean nodded at her words and thanked her for the water. Jess slapped a hand on Sam's shoulder as good luck and then walked out of the panic room to give them time to talk.

• • • • • •

**(Sam's POV)**

"Either it's a trap to get me there to make me say yes, or it's not a trap and I'm gonna say yes anyway. And I will. I'll do it. Fair warning." Sam watched his brother talk big as he returned to the other side of the room and leaned back against the table and called Dean's bluff.

"No, you won't. When push shoves, you'll make the right call." 

Dean kept eye contact with his brother and said."You know, if tables were turned...I'd let you rot in here. Hell, I have let you rot in here." Sam didn't want to think about all those times. They didn't matter now.

"Yeah, well...I guess I'm not that smart." Sam said looking around the room. He really hated this room.

"I—I don't get it. Sam, why are you doing this?" Dean asked with sheer confusion on his face.

"Because... you're still my big brother and if you wanna do this...then we're doing this together like we always do."

• • • • • •

After the boys left...Jess and Bobby sat in the study and waited. She, of course, had wanted to go but Sam and Dean were not having that and she knew that this case would be too much for her.

Bobby was going over a book in his lap when Jess spoke up, "Hey Bobby...will you teach me how to throw a knife?"

Bobby looked up at Jess.

"Sure kid."

They practiced for a few hours, trying to keep their minds off the boys and whatever was going down with the angels. He knew the boys had taught her how to shoot a gun but Bobby taught her the proper way to clean a shotgun and they even practiced some defensive procedures.

When they moved on to knife throwing, Jessica found it quite difficult. She just couldn't aim them quite right and ended up being a hair off every throw.

"Now, it's important to remember that if you ever have to throw one of these, more often than not your target is gonna be moving around. You have to anticipate their movement." Bobby told her as she continued to practice. "Though, you probably don't need to throw them that much. How are you coming along with hand-to-hand combat?"

Jess threw another small blade and then turned back to Bobby.

"I've only sparred with Sam and Dean a few times but they're so much taller than me." Sometimes she wished they were Cas's height. "Recently though they've been pretty busy. I figured I should probably learn how to handle a knife in those sorts of situations where I run out of ammo or find myself in a corner." She said.

Bobby picked up a carved stick. It was small but the weight was anything but light. "We'll use this instead. Okay, so the most important thing you have to understand is that your enemy will play dirty. Nothing is clean in this life. So, come at me."

Jessica looked down at the man," Bobby uh...you're in a--"

"I can still take you out, girl! Now, come at me!"

They ran some drills and Bobby gave Jessica pointers on what to do and what not to do. He told her to keep her weapon firm in her grasp so that whomever she was fighting, didn't dislodge her knife when she swung. He even gave her one of his old pocketknives since she didn't have one. It wasn't as effective on monsters, but it could also open a can of tuna.

She had crinkled her nose at the mention of tuna.

The sun had just passed down the earth when both hunters heard the roar of a very familiar chevy. Jessica dropped her knives and ran towards the front of Bobby's house. She was relieved to see Sam and Dean. However, Cas and Adam weren't with them.

"Where's Cas? Adam?" She asked.

Dean walked right past her into the house and didn't even say a word. She looked to Sam who had stopped to give her a hug.

"Sam...what happened?"

"I'll tell you everything alright. Let's just get inside." He said and guided her along with his arm thrown over her shoulder.


	49. The Witches Bond

**(Jess' POV)**

Adam had been taken by the angels and Dean had killed Zachariah...one of the angels that had been heaven-bent on Sam and Dean battling it out as vessels for Micheal and Lucifer. The thought made Jess shiver as she cleaned the motel pool. Killing Zachariah had bought them some time but she knew eventually some other angel showed up to take the brothers away.

They were on a case in a nowhere town and Jessica had decided to get a job, to help pay for gas and things as said case was taking longer than it normally did. She remembered the exact conversation Dean had with her after she'd walked back into their motel room in a uniform after a week of staying at the motel.

_"You don't have to work here, we've got enough cash to last us."_

_Jess toed off her shoes and stretched her neck. "Dean, we're just waiting around for someone else to die...I need to do something other than going to the bar every night alright. Besides, I'm making money which we will eventually need."_

_"Hey, I told you...just apply for a card."_

_She rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry if living off credit card scams is how you and Sam do things...but I'd rather make an honest living."_

_"We kill monsters, Jess!" She just shrugged and waited for him to turn his back on her then threw a half-eaten doughnut at Dean._

_She laughed as he scrambled to catch the doughnut before it hit the floor. She was certain he'd eat the thing just because he could._

She sighed as she placed the skimmer back in its spot and walked back to the room. The pool was her final task of the day and she couldn't wait to hop in the shower then order take out and watch a movie. She grabs her key for the room when Dean bursts through. "Going to the bar, be back later."

He doesn't wait for her reply as he moves around her and seconds later she hears the impala's engine as he leaves the parking lot. Instead of yelling after him, she just goes about her business.

For the first time, she couldn't care less what Dean did tonight. She was tired and hungry and just wanted to watch movies all night and paint her toenails or put on a face mask...she wasn't sure which but they both sounded very nice because neither involved Dean and his constant unrest and annoyance.

• • • • • •

That had been about a month ago. They were still in Kirkwood and Jessica was still working at the motel. She'd collected quite the amount in just a few weeks but she was glad. Now she could finally pay the brothers back for taking care of her. Or at least get them something nice for Christmas. It was like they were a little family. The thought made her laugh as she cleaned the motel pool once more. Dean had said that his dad had worked a case for about a month-long. Maybe after this witch stuff was over he could share the story with her.

"Remind me again why you're cleaning this crap motel's pool?"

Jessica looked at her friend who was getting water all over the place."Chloe, I told you. I'm undercover."

"Ohhhh yeah. Sorry, I forgot." The demon said and adjusted her sunglasses.

Jessica huffed and continued to collect bugs and a few leaves with the handheld pool skimmer. "And since we're just waiting for another death, might as well make some money."

Chloe kicked the water out across the pool as she had been for the last ten minutes and nodded. Sam and Dean thankfully weren't at the motel right now which was a godsend. Jessica felt guilty having to hide her friend when they were around...it was nice being able to clean a pool and chill with the demon that had somehow become her best friend.

Sam of course knew about Chloe but Dean was still in the dark. Jessica had meant to tell him but from what she'd heard from Sam, the last demon the brothers had gotten close to had still died, and they were the ones who had killed her. Jessica had been pretty adamant to keep Chloe a secret.

"So you think there's a witch here?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah...they've been killing almost every two months for the last year. The only reason we didn't find the case until now was because it hadn't been in the newspaper. I guess mass murder doesn't look good for a small town." Jessica said as she scraped the dead bugs off the skimmer.

Chloe lazily kicked another wave of water across the pool.

"If you didn't know about it then how come you're here now?"

"So get this..." Jessica cringed as she said that. 'Spending too much time with Sam.' She thought.

Jess stopped cleaning for two seconds and continued. "The last victim was actually a journalist that had been snooping around. I guess the witch or witches didn't want their secrets to getting out. It actually wasn't hard to figure out what was going on."

"So we're just waiting for this witch to strike again?"

Jessica brightened at the question and tossed the skimmer down on a reclined pool chair and sunk down next to Chloe. "Hopefully we can track them down before they kill again. Whatever magic they're using is really strong...but they'll mess up at some point. The risk takers always do." Jess said with a far off look in her eye.

"What _are_ you doing?"

"I've been watching too many crime shows," Jess said and sighed.

"Do all mass murderers usually mess up?" Chloe asked seriously.

"Not all the time...however we saw photos from the previous crime scene and one thing's for sure...this killer was very disorganized. They'll trip up soon and we'll get them."

Chloe and Jessica kick their feet around in the water for another ten minutes until Sam called Jess and to tell her to meet him at the library because he'd found something important.

• • • • • •

Kirkwood's public library was quite small but cozy. Two librarians sat behind the circulation desk, one was on the computer and the other one was putting returned books onto a cart. The one at the computer smiled happily at Jess as she entered.

"How can I help you, dear?"

"Hello...can you tell me where the mythology section is?"

"Of course, if you turn right around...walk down straight and then make a left. All mythology is in the fourth aisle." She motioned with her hand. "So, are you doing a project for school?"

Jessica smiled. "Yeah you know midterms are coming up. Prof wants us to use primary sources...thought it be easier to come here than trying to order the books at the college...it's a nightmare trying to get the online book rental to work."

"Don't I know it! I've been telling the mayor for a while that we need an updated system for the school as well as for here...but, we don't have that kind of budget. Well, if you need help with anything else, feel free to ask. My name is Addie." She told Jess with a smile.

Jessica smiled once more and then followed Addie's instructions. Once she rounded the corner, she saw Sam with his head in a large book. He was even wearing white cloth gloves. Dean was nowhere in sight. Jess dragged the chair out from under the table by the younger Winchester and sat.

The sound of the chair leg dully scraping against carpet caused Sam to look up at her. He nodded and then turned back to the book he'd been looking at.

"I've been looking for a reason why a witch would have to kill in a span of around two months and there was nothing in the lore until I found this!" He said and carefully flipped a few pages back. The book's pages were old but even Jess could easily see it.

A depiction of two arms coming together, bound by some sort of cloth and blood dripping from their hands with some sort of witchy occult symbol in the background. 

'Festive' She thought and leaned closer to get a better look.

The drawing of the blood dripped until it formed words in some language Jess didn't recognize...but she knew exactly what it depicted anyway. She'd read Harry Potter.

"It's a blood bond?" She asked to humor Sam.

He nodded and then flipped back to the page he was on before. "Basically two witches of lower power would make a blood bond to achieve more magical power."

"Okay...but that doesn't explain why the sacrifices are so close together?"

Sam stuck up a finger and then pointed down on the left page and read. "If one of the bonded shall perish then the bond will perish and fate follows."

"So two witches make the pact and then one died... now there's only one witch and they're trying to tame the spell. To protect themselves from fate? What fate?" Jess asked with confusion on her face. It made sense but also was so strange.

"I'm thinking since there was a disruption of balance...that the magic is taking back what it's owed...the power they took because even though it was transferred to them it wasn't theirs," Sam said as he closed the book.

"And as long as they can keep killing people, the only way to stop the witch is to gank them?"

Sam nodded, "They probably won't stop. Sure they can appease the balance but there's no way to set it right until the witch is dead."

The hunter nodded at Sam's words. So now they just had to wait...until next week according to what they knew...that was when the witch would strike next.

"Still, this could be tricky. If we don't catch the witch before she kills the next victim, we'll be here for a while more." She said and Sam nodded.

Jessica was about to flip the page of the book when she was hit on the back of the head and knocked out instantly.


	50. The Least Likely of Duos

**(Kurt's POV)**

Kurt followed Chloe closely as she walked down the street. He wasn't sure where she was going but he didn't really care. His new orders were to watch her and report back if she stepped too far out of line. It sounded like some sort of demotion in his eyes until some higher-ups mentioned the Winchester brothers. 

He didn't want to assume the worst but it didn't look good so far. Chloe of course kept up to her rounds...made deals and got the job done like normal, but if the higher-ups wanted to keep an eye on her, she must've been into something fishy with the hunter brothers or not.

Kurt really couldn't care less if she was helping the Winchesters but he did care about Chloe's reputation. If it got out that she was actively trying to make sure that the Winchesters succeed in taking on Lucifer then she'd be cast out and blacklisted in Hell. No one would trust her and she'd probably be killed. It was sad but it was the way of things.

Also, if Chloe's reputation went down, so did his. He was her friend, yes, they'd practically raised through the crossroad ranks together to get where they were today and if Chloe screwed that up then it also reflected poorly on him and he couldn't afford a setback.

Still, he guessed he was honored to take on this new role. No longer did he do grunt work. His job soley was to make sure Chloe did as she was told, which was a major change for him, something new. He thought he'd always be stuck at the bottom of the totem pole but this was a sign that he was moving up. Kurt let out a pleased sigh and continued to follow Chloe...she was on the phone and seemed to be talking to someone she knew.

Kurt rolled his eyes and then stepped into a puddle. Water encased his shoe and he let out a mini shriek and jumped out of the puddle. Thankfully there weren't many people around to see him freak out. He quickly kicked his shoe off and tried to get as much of the dirty rainwater off.

'No, no no...these are Italian!'

A tear welled up in his eye as he stared at the already warping shoe. He had just gotten these recently in a deal with a fellow demon...he'd taken the soul of a shoemaker in Sicily who had wanted a better life. The only problem was that the shoe maker's time had come and there was no way he'd get a replacement that could rival what he had now.

In all this commotion he'd forgotten about Chloe so he wasn't surprised when he looked up and saw she was gone. Kurt took a deep breath and tried to keep his calm. That worked for all of three seconds.

Rage filled the demon and he threw his shoe at the ground, falling to his knees, he starred up to the sky and yelled. "WHYYYYY!"

• • • • • •

**(Dean's POV)**

It had been a rough night at the bar. It seems that no one wanted to play pool, so the hustling was non-existent. Also, the waitress he'd been flirting with had turned out to have a boyfriend so he struck out there as well. It just wasn't his day.

Dean didn't like staying in one place for too long but this case was a long con. They'd already been here for over a month and quite frankly he was ready to gank him a witch. Hopefully, Sam had been more successful at the library. He was itching to move on already. If they stayed any longer they might as well sign a lease to an apartment and get part-time jobs like Jess.

The elder Winchester felt for his keys as he crossed the bar's parking lot towards the impala. Jess thought it'd be a good idea to start working at the motel they were all staying at. She had fought tooth and nail saying that it'd be the perfect cover. Dean wasn't too sure but it kept her out of trouble so it was good enough for him.

He wrenched the driver's door open and sunk down into the car. He'd barely got the door closed before the passenger door was ripped open and someone flew into the seat. She was blonde and had a leather jacket enveloping the upper half of her body. Dean who liked what he saw was about to say hello when the woman smacked her hand on Baby's dash and yelled.

"Hurry and drive!"

Dean's face morphed into one of annoyance. He didn't mind the chick in his car in fact he was a little amused. But why was she smacking his baby? He took in her appearance once more. She seemed to have some blood on her cheek.

"You start a bar fight sweetheart?" He asked coyly and she sent him a glare.

"Look we're three seconds away from becoming dinner. So I suggest we go while we can." She said with a tad bit of sarcasm. This he could work with. As he was about to turn on the charm he heard a noise.

He looked over the woman's shoulder and saw a mob coming straight for them. The woman turned back to look at him and said. "If you wanna live, Dean, then drive!"

Confusion passed over his face but the imminent mob of people running at his car had him kicking the Impala into drive and peeling out of the parking lot.

Once they were on the road and far off from the mob, Dean looked over at the woman and turned the radio down, "So...it seems you have the advantage here, cause you know me, but I don't know you."

The woman settled into the passenger seat and looked him over again.

"I'm Chloe. I work with Castiel."

"You're an Angel?" He asked.

"No."

"Okay...so, how do you know Castiel?" Dean questioned as they rambled on down the road.

"Once upon a time I was living my life and then Blue Eyes showed up and said that heaven had plans for me...and here I am." Chloe rattled off and for a split second Dean almost smirked.

That song sounded familiar but he had questions...not only for this woman but for Cas as well. Why hadn't he said anything about a new recruit?

"That doesn't explain why you're in my car or why a mob was chasing you?"

"Well aren't you chatty, let's just say it was witchy business." Chloe remarked sarcastically, "Look Dean, I work with Castiel...I'm helping you and your brother. That's all you need to know."

Dean really wanted to stop the car right then and there but he wasn't sure why Chloe was being chased by that mob and he definitely didn't wanna find out. Every instinct was telling him to ditch her but she knew Cas...said they worked together. Besides, if this was a trap he was confident in the fact that his gun was close enough that if she tried anything, he'd be ready.

They pulled up to the motel and the Impala shut off. Dean got out and led Chloe over to the room he and the gang were staying in. Chloe was in the middle of asking a question when Dean opened the door to utter chaos.

The motel room was ripped apart. Articles of clothing were strewn out across the room, weapons were just lying about and the beds had been flipped over. 

"What the-" Dean said as he cautiously pushed on towards the bathroom, he called out for both Sam and Jess but there was no response. 'Not good.' he thought.

Chloe stayed near the door but from what Dean could see, she had her own gun. He kicked the bathroom door in to find nothing. He looked back at Chloe who had shut the front door to the room and was looking for any sort of evidence. But there was nothing which put Dean's mind at ease. There was no blood or dead bodies so there was a chance that Sam and Jess hadn't even been here when the room had been ransacked. If that was the case, someone was somehow on their tail.

"I'll try Sam...call Cas, tell him to get his feathery butt down here." He ordered Chloe who only nodded. After getting both Sam and Jess's voicemails, he grabbed all their crap lying on the ground and left the motel with Chloe.

Dean kept trying to call Sam as they drove around town.

Chloe looked over at him, "So, you interviewed all the family members of all the deceased right?"

Dean nodded hesitantly and stopped at a red light.

"There was no connection to any of them...they were random."

Chloe shrugged at that. There was no way of finding out who the witch could be...if the murders were random then anyone in this godforsaken town could be the monster.

The older brother rattled off a string of numbers...numbers that Chloe was very familiar with. 

"That's Jess' number. Keep trying to reach her. I'll drive by the last victim's house just to make sure." Dean said as the red light turned to green and then he floored it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting close to the end everyone! Thank you for reading and commenting!


	51. To Kill A Witch

**(Jess's POV)**

Jess felt groggy and nauseous. Her vision was spotty at best but at least she could feel the ground beneath her. It was smooth and cold and smelled of fabric softener. She briefly wondered if she was in a laundry room.

She blinked and tried to rotate her head around. Soon her vision cleared but the room she was in was dark, making it near impossible to see. Jess stretched her legs out, her foot hit something firm.

"Sam?" she rasped.

Her throat hurt and she wondered what had happened. The last thing she remembered was talking with Sam at the library. She kicked out again with her foot and whatever she was kicking fell over with a crash. Oops.

She was sluggish as she sat up. Her hands were bound but she wasn't tied to anything and from the immediate space she was taking up...Sam was nowhere in kicking vicinity.

"Sam?" Jess asked again.

Nothing.

Jessica rose on shaky legs and slowly took a step forward. First, she had to find something to get this stupid rope off her hands. She felt for her pocket knife that Bobby had given her a few weeks back when he came through town but didn't feel it in her back pocket. 'Great.' She thought.

She slid her foot outward just in case there was debris or any objects in her way. Jess's foot met something to her left so, she turned right.

"Sam!" She hissed out into the room.

There still was no answer so she continued to walk around the darkened room. She could now make out some structures in the room as she bumped into a table and found a smooth jagged rock. It wasn't a knife but it would work. Jess kept taking tiny steps forward as she cut the thick ropes that entangled her wrists.

Once her makeshift manacles were gone, She pocketed the rock just in case and continued forward until she felt a wall. She kept a hand on the wall as she walked until she hit a seam...a bolt that was flush with the wall. A door and an exit.

Of course, the door was locked but that was where the rock came in handy. It took quite a few strikes but eventually, the door handle came mostly clean off.

Jess dropped the rock and cautiously pulled the door open a crack. Faint light flooded the room and she took a peak out. She saw rows and rows of shelves filled with books.

'We never even made it out of the Library!'

Jess took tentative steps out into the hall and walked slow. Most of the lights in the library were off which reminded Jess of some stupid horror movie. But this wasn't a horror movie. The hall was quiet which made finding Sam even more difficult. But, she was determined to do just that. She had to be.

• • • • • •

**(Chloe's POV)**

"Well unless we come up with a plan soon, we're not gonna find your brother in time."

"And Jess."

Chloe looked over, shocked by Dean's words. She had assumed he didn't give two hoots about Jessica but it seemed like dumb had proved her wrong. Maybe he wasn't so bad. She only hoped that dumber would keep Jess safe until she and Dean found them. 

"Yeah...and Jess."

The two were quiet as they drove on. Jessica and Sam could literally be anywhere. They'd been driving around for hours now and they weren't even close to finding them. They could be dead by the time they found them...or worse.

Dean pulled off on the side of the road and rustled out another phone...a different phone. Chloe watched him turn it on and tap on it. He launched an app...Find my Device.

"You think that either of them have their location service on?" Chloe knew Jess would. That's how she'd found her when Sam and Dean had been shot up.

"I know for a fact Sam does...alright. Anyway, he said something about a library. They could be there but it isn't like them to not answer their phones." The elder hunter said and as they watched the app work it's magic. The screen zeroed in on a large building...the Kirkwood Public Library.

"Found 'em." He laughed before dropping the phone on the seat and putting the car in gear. Chloe let out a sigh. It seemed as if Sam and maybe Jess if she was with him, had never made it out of the library...which meant that the witch probably worked there. Chloe voiced that opinion outright.

"So if they're still at the library. You know they've been there for hours then the witch that started all of this probably works there. Good thing it's closing time." She said as she watched them pass a park.

"Uh yeah. Good catch. I was actually thinking the same thing." Dean grunted and Chloe said nothing more. Her mind on Jess and she guessed Sam.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

A voice rang out, the sound echoing off the walls. Jessica followed the sound into the main patron seating area. There was no one in sight but Jess followed the sounds to a side office. The light made her eyes hurt but she pushed through and looked blearily at the screens.

The security cameras were on and there was a lady faced away from the camera. She was standing over something...or someone but the picture was too fuzzy to see anything but that. Of course, the public library had bad cameras, that's probably all they could afford because a lot of people used laptops now to... 'Focus Jess, finding Sam is the priority.' Jess thought.

The same voice from before rang out and on the screen, the body straightened up. Clearly, something bad was about to go down. It was like something out of a B-rate horror flick that Dean always watched.

Jess ran from the security office and headed back towards the voices. The witch was gonna kill Sam and that definitely was not gonna happen today.

Back in the darkened hall, the chanting got louder and louder until Jess stopped at a cracked door. She peeked through and saw Sam tied to a chair. His face was bloody and he wasn't looking too good but Jess was sure he'd be fine. He had to be...because he was Sam.

The witch...the old woman from before...the librarian that had seemed so nice had a knife and was mixing something in a bowl. She walked over to Sam and drew stuff on his chest...some sort of sigil Jess didn't recognize. She wanted to burst right in there but this lady was a witch and Jess didn't really feel like being jinxed or melted; so she waited.

Sam struggled against the rope and looked over at the witch. "Why are you doing this?"

"I've been alive for quite a long time and I don't intend for it to end today." She sneered and continued the ritual.

"You should have thought of that before creating a blood bond...seems like they end pretty messy." He said as the witch kept writing the sigil on his chest, her back turned away from the door.

Jessica looked down and saw Sam's gun on the floor. She made eye contact with him as she moved forward and grabbed the gun. She aimed at the witch and took a breath...her mind racing with everything she'd been taught by the boys and Bobby.

The witch turned right then and smiled sickly at Jessica.

"I don't think that gun is gonna do much sweetie...I'm a witch after all."

Jess made sure the safety was off and with a look of determination on her face."Good thing these are witch killing bullets." She said and fired the gun.

The old witch's eyes widened as the gun fired and she tried to jump out of the way but it was too late. She fell and hit the ground dead. 'Oh.' Jess thought and looked down at the lady, a feeling of dread filled her stomach. She'd just, well she'd just killed someone. She froze. Even though the witch was bad and was trying to kill them. She killed her.

Of course, Sam and Dean had said at some point she might have to kill a monster. She just didn't think she'd feel like she'd want to vomit.

"Jess. Jess. Hey, look at me." Sam said and she blinked down at him. Sam was still sat in the chair across the room.

"It's okay Jess. She would've killed me...Jess?" He said and she momentarily snapped out of her head.

Jess put the safety back on and tucked the gun into her waistband before coming over to Sam. He was covered in ritual blood and some weird powder that smelled like spicy garlic.

"I'm so glad to see you." He said.

"Likewise." She said and helped him untie his hands that were still bound behind the broken swivel chair, her hands slightly shaking. She helped him up and he briefly hugged her before they slowly made their way out of the room and into the hall.

"So did the crazy witch tell you anything?" Jess asked to force her mind to focus on anything but what she had just done. 

"Yeah...it's just like we thought. She and her friend made a blood bond to combine their magic or something but one of them died. She said she was being hunted down by the balance itself...whatever that means. Fate...destiny...an angry god with issues..."

"So it could have been a number of things. Not to brag...but, it seemed easier than I thought it be," She said as they got closer and closer to the front of the library. "Hey by the way...do you have my pocket knife?"

Sam felt all his pockets and then dug into one, bringing out her weapon. "She took it...I grabbed it while she wasn't looking." Well, at least he would've had a weapon if she wouldn't have made it in time.

Jessica smiled and took the knife from Sam. "I know it's just a knife but it was from Bobby and I wanna make sure I keep it since he trusted me enough to actually give me one...you know." She confessed and held the front door open for the younger Winchester.

"No. I get it, Jess. Really I do. So?

"So?" She echoed.

"You alright?" Sam asked her as they left the building.

She nodded outwardly at him to reassure Sam but Jess couldn't shake the feeling of guilt off her. If she hadn't shot the witch, Sam definitely would've been harmed. Sacrificed just like all the others. Jessica knew in her heart that she couldn't have let Sam die. She knew even before she pulled the trigger that the witch had to die.

Though she hadn't even stopped to consider that could have been another way. To take out the witch without killing the lady. There didn't seem to be any other way and for a long time to come, it would bother Jessica.


	52. Zombie Mobs

They walked out to the parking lot and saw the Impala pull up. It screeched to a halt and Dean swung the driver's door open.

"Of course you show up after we solve the case." Jess smiled at Dean.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Sam said and grinned at his brother.

"You two good?" Dean asked.

They both nodded and then Jess looked shocked as they saw Chloe get out of the car. Dean looked back at her, "This is Chloe...uh works with Cas apparently." He shrugged as Jess and Sam came closer to the car.

Sam and Jess just nodded. Jessica shot Sam a face but he just blinked and shrugged once Dean had turned away. It didn't look like Sam was gonna tell Dean. Chloe took this time to wave very quickly at Jess who rolled her eyes at her.

"So...the witch dead?" Dean asked his brother and Jess.

Jessica nodded solemnly and then gave Sam's gun back to him. She knew Dean saw her face but didn't have time to ask her any questions before Chloe spoke up.

"So the witch is dead...but that doesn't explain that mob?" Chloe walked over to Jess to look her over and then looked back at the library.

Jess looked at her friend. "What mob?"

Dean cleared his throat and gestured for everyone to head back to the Impala. "We're not really sure. Chloe was being chased by it uh them earlier today...before we met."

"What does a horde of people have to do with a witch killing a ton of people. Were they demons?" Sam asked.

Chloe shook her head and looked at the other three as she leaned against the car.

"No...they were dead. The mob I mean. Their faces were rotting and they looked like zombies. I mean that's what I've been calling them." She said.

Dean opened up the trunk and took a look around before he grabbed the two machetes he knew were there and handed one to Sam. He grabbed the sawed-off and handed it to Jess who almost flinched when she grabbed it from him. He then handed the angel blade to Chloe. Jess looked at the sliver knife dagger thing, had it always been in the trunk?

"Well if they are the undead then...I'd say a chop or bullet to the head should do it."

Chloe looked down at the blade Dean gave her and grimaced. "So why do I have an angel-killing blade?"

Dean looked back at her before grabbing some flares just in case.

"Look...I get it." He said and took a few steps closer to Chloe, "You work for Cas...but that doesn't mean I trust you."

"Let's get one thing straight, I work _with_ him...not for him!" The demon hissed out.

Sam interrupted their conversation. "Then who do you work for?" Jess rolled her eyes, she knew he would eventually say something to annoy her. Chloe sent him a not-so-nice gesture with her hands and Jess stepped in between them all.

She slugged Sam in the shoulder which drew an annoyed _Ow_ from him before she hefted the shotgun onto her shoulder. Jess grabbed Dean's jacket and dragged Dean away from Chloe, knowing that if they got into a tussle the Winchester would end up on the ground.

"It doesn't matter who she works for...right now she's helping us so stop trying to psychoanalyze her and let's just find these zombies before they attack the townspeople and kill everyone." She sighed.

At that moment, the horde that had been previously mentioned broke through the trees and started running towards the gang. Jess narrowed her eyes and then yelled, "I recognize a few of them...they're the victims! These are the people the witch sacrificed."

"Of course they are, that's just great."

Sam and Dean immediately go to work chopping off the heads of the undead victims. Jessica stayed near Chloe and swung the shotgun up. "Be careful!" She told her friend and shot a few of the horde that had gotten too close.

Chloe used her gun to take a few out but when she ran out of bullets she switched to her secondary weapon. She stabbed a few but it was doing little to slow them down as they started to run past her.

Dean and Sam quickly took care of one that was trying to get on top of the Impala and Jess took out another one that had gotten too close to Chloe. Three came up behind Dean and Chloe jumped high in the air before knocking into two of the zombies. They staggered back as she stabbed the third one in the head with the blade and it fell. Dean turned around quickly enough to take out one of the undead that Chloe had kicked back.

Sam grabbed the one Chloe hadn't rammed into. He tackled the zombie and then shoved him down, cutting its head off in the process. Jess booked it over to Sam, as two zombies were reaching behind him while he was busy and smacked the undead with the butt of the shotgun and quickly shot the other. They didn't get back up.

"Watch out!" Dean exclaimed and pushed Chloe to the ground before slicing up the zombie that had tried to get her. While Chloe was on the ground she kicked the legs out of two zombies that were trying to reach Sam.

"Thanks," Chloe said as Dean pulled her up from the ground. Soon all the undead were well still undead but weren't moving any longer which was a plus.

Jessica sucked in air and then swiped her bangs out of her face, maybe they weren't the most practical decision but after sitting at the hotel for a month cleaning a pool, she'd gone a little stir crazy. Sam coughed and then laughed in relief before laying down on the front of the Impala to catch his breath. Dean and Chloe were at the boot of the truck putting away the weapons as Jess was trying to find water and hand towels to hand out. Chloe handed the angel blade back to Dean who nodded in thanks. He threw their weapons in the trunk before turning to check on the car.

After throwing the supplies to the boy's Jess peeked around the car to see that both brothers were occupied with talking to one another and quickly hugged Chloe before they could see.

"Glad you're okay," Jess said and Chloe brought her arms up around the smaller girl.

"Yeah, that's all thanks to Dean." She smiled down at Jess.

"Well, I gotta hightail it. Got a job I gotta do for feathers." Chloe said and Jess nodded.

"You've heard from Castiel?"

"Uh no, he told me I needed to do some stuff before all this went down." Jess frowned then nodded at her friend. All she could do was trust that Chloe was telling the truth, besides she'd have no reason to lie.

"You need a ride?"

"I'm good this time. I'll see you soon Jess."

"Okay well tell Cas I say hi if you see him," Jess said and hugged Chloe once more. After Chloe was gone she placed the rest of the weapons in the back and closed it. She was grateful that they were all safe, but she couldn't get the witch out of her head or well mostly that she had killed her. Jess placed herself in the backseat and sighed.

"Where'd Chloe go?" Asked Dean.

"Oh, she said something about having to do something for Cas," Jess said and looked out the window as Dean started up the car and pulled onto the road.

"Well, that's too bad, she was growing on me." He said with a knowing smile. Sam punched him in the shoulder.

"Dude, really."

Jess knew Sam wouldn't be saying anything about Chloe and what she really was. She didn't want to keep hiding that information from Dean, but she didn't need him angry with her, or even with Cas, there were other things they needed to focus on more.

"Everything okay?" Sam asked as he turned the radio on. She nodded and turned back to the pair. She didn't miss the look Sam and Dean shared.

"Jess, uh Sam told me what happened. That witch would've killed you guys." Dean told her through the mirror as he drove down the road.

"I know that and I don't regret saving Sam, but-" She trailed off. She didn't know what to say. She just couldn't let it go at least not at the moment. She sat in the back seat quietly, stewing in her head about it for the rest of the night.


	53. Hammer of the Gods

The oncoming storm was horrendous. Dean had nearly crashed the impala after a tree had fallen down on the road as they were driving along. It was utter chaos. 

Jessica had suggested they stop for the night which hadn't been their plan when they set out. It had been a week since they'd killed that witch back in Kirkwood and taken on the zombie mob of her victims but she hadn't heard from Chloe. Jess wondered if she was busy and hoped she and Cas were okay.

Jessica counted her lucky stars that Cas or Sam hadn't said a word about Chloe being a demon. It seemed as if they had fooled Dean none the wiser and he assumed she was just another soldier fighting on the side of good.

He of course hadn't said anything other than that Chloe was a great person to have in a fight. Sam on the other hand had been grilling Jessica about telling Dean what Chloe really was every day. It bothered her that Sam didn't trust Chloe just because she was a demon but she knew about his past with demons and knew he was just trying to look out for Dean and her.

The elder Winchester had run to the gas station to resupply their drink stock when Sam chose to start yet another conversation about Chloe.

"Look, Sam, we've been over this...her deal wasn't fair. She didn't choose this life."

"Demons lie, Jess, it's what they do!" Sam's voice rose as he threw all his clothes in his duffle...they had been packing after spending a day at a run-down motel.

Jess paced back and forth across the room before turning back towards the hunter. "She isn't lying!"

"Oh, have a feeling do you?"

"Yeah, I do Sam!" She yelled and threw one of her boots at him. "I don't care if you don't trust her...because I do and if she screws me over then that's my problem, not yours!" He dodged her next shoe.

"I'm just trying to help—"

"Yeah well don't! You're not my brother so stop acting like it!" She yelled and then opened the motel door and slammed it closed, leaving Sam by himself and herself shoeless. 

She's regretted the words as soon as she slammed the door shut. He was like a brother to her. Always looking out for her, buying her food, making sure she didn't get too bored while they researched. They both had stuck by her, made sure she wasn't alone. 

She'd never had siblings other than Rachel and they really made her feel like a sister. Something she had suddenly lost and gained again in an odd way. They were family.

And something as stupid as an argument was about to ruin it all.

**(Dean's POV)**

Five days had gone by and Sam and Jessica hadn't talked since. At first, he thought it was the witch case. That Jess was really worked up about killing that lady. He knew that it was gonna be hard for her for a few weeks but he knew Jess was strong and smart. She would adjust.

After two days Dean had caught on to their moods but hadn't said anything. He knew something else was up. Had been since they got Famine's ring but he'd put it on the back burner.

Sam and Jess usually bonded over the lore of a case. He knew Jessica saw Sam as the one who she went to when she didn't know how to handle a weapon or draw a devil's trap but now he barely talked to her. The only time they spoke to each other was at some random diner they'd stopped in for a quick bite and she needed the salt or if she couldn't reach something on the shelf at the store.

Perhaps after all this was over, they'd find a quiet place to sit down and dish out everything that had been happening. She was only a kid that had been thrust into all this...partly because she chose to come with them and partly because Rachel had died, leaving Jessica with no one. But that wasn't to say that the brothers hadn't been thrust into this life themselves...so they knew exactly what she was going through. 

It didn't seem like five days could be so long but Dean had to buffer between them. Sam would say something important...pertaining to a potential case and Jess wouldn't say much.

When she had something to say, it was brief. 'Thank you or 'here's your gun' and 'the shower is free' were phrases she stuck to. Other than that, she'd been tight-lipped. She spent a lot of time listening to music and reading the many books she'd taken with her...although it was much less than what she left South Carolina with. Dean had convinced Sam to sneak some of them out of Baby's trunk when the whole Adam fiasco was going on at Bobby's.

Even though she kept to herself and was reluctant to kill anything else, she still helped with hunts. They'd been all over the country in just the past few days. There was a ghost problem in New Jersey and then a demon in a small town in Illinois.

Jess fought her first Rugaru a day prior and nearly caught the brothers on fire. She'd never used a blowtorch before but she'd gotten the job done. She had apologized for getting the boys' clothes a little toasted but they both assured her she was just doing what was necessary. Dean also noted that she didn't kill the Rugaru and instead let Sam do it.

Jess seemed to be struggling. Of course, she had killed a person, granted the witch hadn't been a good person but she had still been a person and her blood was on Jessica's hands. He had picked up on the weird vibes rolling of the newbie hunter and from what he could tell, so had Sam. He had suggested that they talk with the girl but that hadn't happened yet and the more cases they took on and the more that time went by, Dean assumed that conversation was never going to happen.

Dean thought that that would be the end of the weird silent argument; that things would go back to normal but that was yesterday and today was today and Jessica and Sam hadn't said a word to one another the whole time they'd been in the car. It had been a thousand miles of silence so, Dean only felt defeat as he pulled up to a very nice-looking hotel for the night.

The rain had picked up so by the time the trio made it into the lobby of the hotel, they were drenched.

The Elysian Fields Hotel looked to be a very swanky place. The lounge was nicer than most of the places they'd been staying in the past few months. He saw Jessica immediately go over to the fireplace to warm up.

The elder Winchester looked at his brother. "Nice digs, for once."

"Busy night?" Dean asked the attendant named Chad after they walked over to the front desk.

"Any port in a storm, I guess." Chad chuckled and handed Dean a card to fill out. "If you could just fill this out, please."

"Yeah."

Chad stared at Dean...more specifically at his neck, "Sir, I think... shaving nick there." And handed Dean a tissue and the key to their room.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

Jessica wandered back over to the boys after warming herself at the fire. The rainstorm outside wasn't helping her mood. She heard that there was an all you could buffet...apparently the best pie in the tri-state area. 

Seemed like a lot of places they went to claimed to have the best pie. They then all moved into the dining area. A few people were at the tables but it was basically deserted. Jess found she wasn't quite hungry, just tired, and ready to sleep.

"We should hit the road, Dean." Sam had said as Dean came back to their table with more pie.

"In this storm? I-it's--"

"It's biblical. Exactly. I-it's friggin' Noah's ark out there, and we're eating pie." Sam told his brother and pointed at his pie like it was something in an exhibit.

Jess felt odd, like something wasn't right, but didn't get up from the table.

Dean tossed his fork down and locked eyes with her but at that exact moment she decided that this was not the best time for eye contact. she shrugged into her own food and watched from the corner of her eye as Dean's face turned back to Sam.

"How many hours of sleep did you get this week? What? Three? Four? Bobby's got his feelers out, okay? We have talked with every hoodoo man and root woman in 12 states."

"Yeah, well, I'm not giving up."

Dean looked down at his pie and then back at Sam, "Nobody's giving up." Dean said point-blank, " Especially me...we're gonna find a way to beat the devil, okay? Soon. I can feel it. And Cas will show back up, we'll find Adam. But you are no good to me burnt out. Either of you...so stop being so, you know..." Dean said and gestured to both of them.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay." Sam relented. Jess just nodded.

"Come on, we've actually got the night off for once. Let's try to enjoy it."

After eating some more pie, the trio decided it was time to get some well-deserved rest.

A couple was making out in front of their room which is awkward and Jess didn't wanna stand there and watch them but Dean had the key and was more than happy to listen to the show.

"Oh, what are you, twelve?"

Dean scoffed, "I'm young at heart." He shoved the key into the door.

Jess pushed the door to their room open and Dean whistled. "Wow. Look at this. We're like Rockefellers. Chocolates! You want yours? Jess?"

"Knock yourself out," Sam said and threw his bag down.

Jess took the chocolate off her little pillow and quite harshly threw it at Dean who had already moved on to some movie being on-demand...Jess didn't really know what he was saying and tuned most of it out. She sat at the table and plugged in her laptop and answered a few emails as Sam and Dean continued to talk.

"Isn't this place... in the middle of nowhere?"

Dean tried to get comfortable on his bed, which didn't seem to be difficult, "So?"

"So what's a four-star hotel doing on a no-star highway?" His brother asked.

Jess looked up from her computer. "You have to admit...it is strange."

Sounds could be heard from the other room and then a rather large thud is heard, almost knocking the tv off the wall.

Sam looked over at her and said. "We'll be right back."

It was the most he had said to her in a week and it was only to order her to stay in the hotel room. Jessica rolled her eyes and went back to her laptop.


	54. Hotel of Death

**(Hammer of the Gods Continued)**

When Sam and Dean didn't come back right away, Jess grumbled but stood up from the table and left their suite.

No one was in the hall.

"Dean? Sam?" She called but there was no response.

Jessica walked around for another few minutes before leaving the hall and entering the lounge. Sam and Dean weren't there. Chad the attendant wasn't even there.

She unlocked her phone and hit the speed dial for Dean but only the dial tone rang and rang and rang and then nothing. Jess pulled the phone away from her ear to a black screen. Her phone was dead...which was strange because she had just charged it earlier at the Gas N Sip.

She re-pocketed her cell and continued to walk around...hoping eventually she'd run into either Sam or Dean or anyone else.

• • • • • •

**(Sam's POV)**

The two brothers reentered the lounge, the music was still playing but no one was there...the room was empty. 'A little odd for a hotel.' Sam thought as he looked around.

"An elephant?" Sam asked.

"Yeah."

The younger Winchester narrowed his eyes. "Like, an elephant?"

"Like, full-on Babar."

"So what the hell is... Where is everybody?" Sam asked and walked over to the front door which was locked...it wouldn't even budge.

Dean huffed and walked back over further into the lounge. "Let me guess -- it's locked. So what -- the roaches check-in, they don't check out?"

"Think about how we got here. That detour on I-90? The friggin' hurricane?" Sam asked and looked around the room once more. Sam knew it had to be a setup, some type of plan to make them come here. Of course, it was. Them having one night off was a dream that never came true.

Dean takes a moment to think about Sam's words...he understood a detour but the biblical hurricane that had been stirring outside had been odd and now this swankafied hotel in the middle of nowhere...seemed too good to be true.

"You saying we were led here?"

"Like rats in a maze," Sam said and looked at Dean with horror in his eyes.

"What?"

"Jess," Sam said and took off back to the room. They were stupid not to come back for her before they went investigating. He'd been icing her for almost a week. Everything with Chloe; he knew it would come to a head when Dean found out so he hoped that leaving her in the dark for a couple of days would force her to tell him. So far it hadn't worked. He knew it was selfish. He figured she was probably beating

Sam burst through the door, his gaze leaping over to where he'd last seen her. Her stuff was still there...her bag and jacket on the chair and even her laptop was still open on the email page but she was nowhere in the room. Dean swore and kicked the bed frame.

Sam flipped his phone open and dialed Jess's number. It rang and rang but his phone cut out before she could pick up or the voicemail system could run. His phone was dead.

Dean looked for any sign of struggle, "Do you think..."

"No...no. She has to be somewhere in this hotel." Sam said. He didn't want to think about that.

The brothers left the room and walked back towards the lounge, "We're gonna figure out what's going on here but first we need to find Jess."

Dean saw determination in his brother's eye as they rounded another corner of the hotel. Sam knew if Jessica had been taken by this glorified murder hotel then they'd get to her and they would save her...because that's what they did.

• • • • • •

**(Jess's POV)**

Jessica had not so subtly broken into a few rooms as Dean had taught her how to pick a lock while they were at the hotel for a month on the last case. She told him that she wouldn't do it unless she had had to and this felt like a 'had to' time. After the third room of her not finding anyone, she decided on a different tactic: roaming the halls. 

She continued to call out for Sam and Dean every once in a while but she'd been running around this stupid place for the last forty minutes and she hadn't run back into them so she had a feeling something weird was going on.

Taking another turn in a hallway she was pretty sure she'd already walked down, she saw movement. Someone in a suit...a Burgundy suit jacket! It was Chad! She was about to call out to him when she saw he was wheeling a cart. He lightly tripped and then stopped pushing the cart.

Jessica hid behind a pillar and watched as Chad steadied the cart and took off the food cover to reveal a head...a human head. 'What in the world was going on here?' Jess thought to herself as she remained in cover.

She tried not to gag as Chad replaced the cover and wheeled the cart away.

As soon as he was gone, Jess snuck out from the pillar and kept walking. She wanted to follow him but something was telling her if she did...her head might end up on a platter like that guy had.

Out of nowhere, a familiar voice asked. "Should we check the kitchen?"

"Of course Dean!" Sam hissed.

Jessica whipped around and saw Sam and Dean heading for the kitchen. She sprinted down and hall and whispered yelled their names. Sam turned right as Dean swung the kitchen door open.

"JESS!" Sam yelled and ran towards her, leaving Dean to be smacked by the kitchen door.

She pulled the giant into her arms. She was glad to see him. They laughed when Dean walked over holding his head. Jess was more than sure that a bruise was already starting to form but she didn't say anything as Sam crushed the air out of her lungs.

"I'm glad to see you guys. I went out into the hall after you didn't come back." She said.

"We thought they took you...look something weird is going on here," Sam said and loosened his arms around her, still keeping her in a half embrace.

Jess nodded and pointed over her shoulder. "You're telling me...I just saw that Chad guy rolling a severed human head on a trolly."

"Yeah that's the weird he was talking about," Dean said and gestured back towards the kitchen. "Let's go gang."

"What about the front?" She asked and looked to Sam.

"Locked. We're hoping the back entrance isn't." She nodded at him. She shot a glance at Dean trying to relay for him to give them a minute but she didn't know if he understood her as she fully turned.

"I'm sorry," Jess said.

"Me too," Sam said and pulled her once more closer into his big bear-hugging form. It was stupid to continue to be angry at Sam, he was just looking out for her like he always had been.

They let go of each other when Dean called over and told them to get a move on. Jess rolled her eyes and followed the brothers to investigate. They weren't out of the woods yet and Sam and she were definitely having a heart-to-heart later...but for now, she was glad they were alright and they were all together.

The kitchen was an ordinary kitchen...with a freezer full of people. The guy Dean had seen earlier when he was getting pie at the buffet started yelling, "GET US OUT...HELP!"

Sam tried the freezer door but it was jammed. He fumbled to get his lock pick kit out.

"Hurry up!" Dean hissed as he watched for anyone who might come and investigate the yelling from the freezer. Jess tried to calm the man down but he seemed more interested in screaming bloody murder.

Sam turned around to tell Dean he was trying his best but he froze.

"There's someone behind us...isn't there?" Dean asked.

The goons grabbed Dean and Jess and Sam stood up. He was either gonna do something stupid or awesome to get these two goons away from Jess and Dean. Sam held up his hands in mock surrender and shot a wink at Jess.

She grinned back and slammed her foot down on the goon's foot. He let go of her for two seconds which was enough time for her to turn and deck him in the nose. Dean continued to struggle out of goon number two's hold.

Jessica was in the process of throwing a bowl of fruit at goon number one when a bright light came down upon the kitchen. All the fighting ceased. Sam reached out for Jessica. Dean grumbled something about Heaven descending down on them as the bright light continued to be a nuisance and Jess shielded her eyes.

• • • • • •

 **(Sam's POV)**

When Sam could see clearly again, Jess was gone and Dean was still in the goon's vice grip. The younger Winchester demanded with anger in his voice. "What have you done with her!"

Goon number one said nothing, just grabbed Sam and hauled him out of the kitchen. Goon number two followed along with Dean, moving them forward and away. It didn't make sense? Where had Jess gone and what had the bright light been?

Sam continued to struggle and demand they be taken to Jessica. The goons only shoved them along to another door and pushed them into some conference area filled with a bunch of people with name-tags.

Correction, gods with name-tags. 'This place just keeps getting better and better.' Sam thought sarcastically.


	55. We Gotta Get Out of this Place

**(Hammer of the Gods Continued-Jess's POV)  
**

The last thing Jess remembered was a bright light enveloping the kitchen. She had been about to hit a goon with some fruit but now she wasn't sure where she was.

The hunter looked around the space she was in. It was a dark room filled with many curtains. A bed dead center in the room and a banquet table filled with desserts.

Jessica rubbed her eyes and sat up from the floor. She looked over her shoulder to see if Sam and Dean had somehow been transported with her but she was alone. Or so she thought.

"Hello there."

Jess turned back to see some short dude in a jacket. He had niceish hair...but had some stupid smirk on his face...like she was supposed to know who he was.

Jess stumbled to her feet. "Where am I?"

"Right into the boring questions...sit down kid. Have a cake roll or Pavlova." He said and gestured to the buffet table.

Jessica squinted her eyes at him and crossed her arms in a defensive stance. "I prefer pie actually."

The man only smiled and then snapped his fingers. All sorts of pie appeared out of the thin air. Jess glared at the man in front of her. He could summon her and objects but what was he? Cas could do those sorts of things but Chloe couldn't. Did that mean this guy was an angel?

"I'm not hungry. Where are my friends?"

"They're fine...look, Jess, not to be blunt but you're really cramping on my style. I'm not your enemy here...so relax—"

Jess shoved the man back a step out of her immediate bubble and drew out her gun. The safety clicked off and the gun rose to aim at the man. Jess took a breath. The man remained where he stood...unmoving. The witch from last week was the last thing on her mind now. She was tired, didn't know where the brothers were an angel or not, she wasn't dying, not today.

He didn't seem to be scared, in fact, he was calm...too calm. Like he knew the gun wouldn't hurt him. She lowered the gun somewhat so it wasn't pointed directly at him.

"I don't know who you are...and I don't really care. Take me back right now." She threatened.

A sly grin filled the features of the short man. She was disgusted and slightly annoyed. Like lightning, she changed her aim and shot at a cake on the table. Dessert went all over the place, some even landing in the man's hair. All he did was chuckle and then started clapping like she was acting in a play.

"Stunning performance my dear, they've trained you so well!"

Jess looked down at her gun calmly. If he was an angel it would definitely not hurt him. She needed to start carrying an angel blade around in case this happened again in the future.

The short man took a slight step forward, "Look...I'll take you back to them, but we need to talk first...alone." He said with a grin.

• • • • • •

**(Sam's POV)**

Dean and Sam had had just about enough of these gods and were looking for an opportunity to just leave the conference room as an argument broke out.

The brothers slowly got up from their chairs and edged toward the door but of course, a chandelier fell down into their path. Chad, whose actual name was Mercury, started talking about giving the Winchesters the benefit of the doubt before they were used as bargaining chips but Kali...the goddess of destruction wasn't so happy about that and tried to choke and kill him.

So this was the perfect moment for Gabe and Jess to show up.

"Can't we all just get along?" Gabe half yelled as he barged through the conference room doors.

Jess was close behind him and she waved to Sam once she saw her friends were okay. Sam's face fell into relief when he saw Jessica but then he saw Gabe...his face froze in annoyance. As did Dean's.

The brothers both started to say his name but Gabe made some odd motion with his fingers...like he was slicing the air which rendered but Sam and Dean speechless.

Jess nudged Gabe who just gave her a look and continued his well-rehearsed speech as he strolled into the room, "Sam...Dean, it's always wrong place, worst time with you muttonheads, huh?"

Kali's hunky companion spoke up, "Loki."

"Baldur. Good seeing you too. I guess my invitation got lost in the mail."

While Gabe was distracted, Jess came up behind Sam and grabbed his hand, and tried to pull him towards the door but he stopped her and shook his head. They had to stay and figure out what was going on.

"Why are you here?" Baldur asked.

"To talk about the elephant in the room." Gabe said and then looks at Ganesh who made to get up but Gabe held up a finger, "Not you. The Apocalypse. We can't stop it, gang. But first things first." He turned back to the Winchesters and Jess. "The adults need to have a little conversation. Check you later."

A snap is heard and the gang appeared back in the hotel room. Sam saw Jess was starting to pack up all her stuff.

Dean blinked "Okay Did that....holy crap!"

"Yeah, tell me about it. By the way, next time I say let's keep driving, uh, let's keep driving."

"Okay Yeah. Next time." His brother agreed while turning to Jess, "You alright? He didn't hurt you?" He asked.

Jess just shrugged and threw her backpack on her shoulders, "He tried to offer me some sort of Pavlov cake thing but no he didn't do anything to me..."

Sam shot her a weird look but kept going. "Alright, so what's our next move?"

"Leave," Jess said.

Dean nodded at her words. "Grab those poor saps outta the freezer, I guess? Bust 'em out? Gank a few freaks along the way if we're lucky?"

"And when are you ever lucky?" Gabe said from across the room. He had taken a seat on the couch and not even Jess knew how long he'd been there. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Well, you know what, bite me, Gabriel," Dean said

"Maybe later."

"I should've known. This had your stink all over it from the jump."

"You think I'm behind this?" Gabe asked as Jess went into the bathroom to grab their toiletries.

"You wanna pull us outta the fire?" Dean seriously asked.

Gabe nodded "Bingo! Those guys are either gonna dust you, or use you as bait. Either way, you're uber-boned."

Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing. Jess rolled her eyes again at their stupid banter and started packing up Dean's stuff that he'd left on his bed.

"Wow, 'cause a couple of months ago you were telling us that we need to 'play our roles'. You're uber boning us!"

Jess took Sam's bag from the floor and put it in his hand and then grabbed Dean's bag herself. Gabe started lightly pacing the room.

"Ohh... The end is still nigh. Michael and Lucifer are gonna dance the lambada, but not tonight. Not here."

"And why do you care?" Dean asked.

Gabe shrugged. It didn't look like he gave two hoots. Sam internally rolled his eyes at the situation. Anything that had to do with the trickster usually ended up someone dying or mass chaos. 

"I don't care. But, me and Kali we, uh, had a thing. Chick was all hands. What can I say? I'm sentimental."

Sam, who had been silently listening to Dean and Gabriel bicker, finally spoke up.

"Do they have a chance? Against Satan?"

Dean glanced over at his brother. "Really, Sam?"

Sam matched his gaze. "You got a better idea?"

Jessica looked between the two and grinned, "Yeah...not dying!" She exclaimed and shoved the uneaten chocolate from Sam's pillow into her mouth with no grace whatsoever. She really couldn't believe they were all having this conversation and wished she could bake something to destress.

Gabe smiled at her, "I knew I liked you for a reason...it is a bad idea," He said and turned back to Sam. "Lucifer's gonna turn them into finger paint. So let's get going while the going's good, hmm?"

"Okay great, why don't you just zap us outta here then?"

"Would if I could, but Kali's got you by the short and curlies. It's a blood spell. You boys are on a leash." Gabe told them.

Dean just stared at him "What does that mean?"

"It means it's time for a bit of the old black magic." The trickster said and sprayed his mouth with breath spray.

Jess rolled her eyes, "That's where Gabe and I come in. He's gonna grab the blood and Imma run interference...and I suppose we are also gonna save the freezer people. Maybe we should give Chloe a call?"

"No!" Dean said.

"Why not? She's great in a fight." Jessica stared both of the brothers down.

"There's no way for her to get here in time."

"Um...can't Gabriel just bring her here?" Jessica asked and looked over at the trickster.

"Nooooo nooo nooo, It's gonna be hard enough to get you three out...we're not involving anyone else alright."

Dean smirked at Jess and then said, "They called you Loki, right? Which means they don't really know who you are?"

"Told you. I'm in witness protection." He said.

Dean took a step forward. "Okay, well then how about you do what we say, or we tell the, uh, legion of doom about your secret identity. They don't seem like a real pro-angel kinda crowd."

Jess whipped her head up, "I knew it!"

Gabe looked at her, his eyes wide. Apparently, he hadn't wanted her to know who he was. "I'll take your voices away."

"We'll write it down." The elder Winchester argued.

"I'll cut off your hands." The angel said...like he was trying to be intimidating.

Jess's face screwed up...he would not in fact be cutting her hands off if she had any say in the matter because that was just ridiculous. 

Dean countered with "Well then, people are gonna be asking, Why are you guys running around with no hands?"

"Fine," The angel said. "But you can't come with."

Dean's face crumpled in confusion.

"What?"

Gabriel rolled his eyes and raised his hand to Jessica's forehead. "Not you two, her." He said and zapped her away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are in the home stretch, everyone. Thank you so much for reading and commenting and following along with Jess on her journey.


	56. Stream Ghostfacers Now!

**(Hammer of the Gods Continued-Jess's POV)  
**

"You said I could help!" Jess said but it was too late. The next thing she saw was the strange room with the desserts again. She tried to open the windows but found out pretty quickly that there were no real windows. She huffed and paced around the stupid prison room Gabriel had stuck her in.

"Freakin' angels." She muttered under her breath. She wished her phone wasn't dead, so she'd call Chloe and Cas to get her out of here.

Then out of nowhere a tv that wasn't in the room before started blaring some awful music.

_"GHOST! GHOSTFACERS! WE FACE THE GHOSTS WHEN THE OTHERS WILL NOT!"_

Jess ran over to the television set and stared for point two seconds before turning the volume down and shielding her eyes as she grimaced. She thought about turning it off but it didn't look like she was going anywhere soon. Once the terrible music was over...two dudes sitting at a picnic table began talking.

One of them was wearing a sweater and had black hair. He talked first into the camera. "If you're dead, you better stay dead."

The one with glasses nodded and said. "Yep."

Then it was back to the other one. "Cause if not, we're gonna kill you."

The screen faded to black and started playing a commercial about some popular dish soap brand. Jessica looked at the screen in confusion and then turned the tv off.

"What the heck was that." She mumbled. If that was Gabe's idea of good television or to calm her down, he needed to do more research. It hadn't made her any happier than before.

Another thirty minutes of searching around the room proved to be fruitless. There was nothing but desserts and some weird scented candles. She finally sat down on one of the couches, she'd have to wait for Gabe to let her out. She sighed and rubbed her eyes and really had the urge to screech. There was no way that she could get out of this room without help.

'Maybe I should try to sleep', Jess thought. She didn't really know how long she'd be here. She wished Chloe were here, at least having someone to talk to would make whatever this was more bearable.

"You should really tell Deano about your bestie."

Jess looked up from where she was sat on the couch. "You've got no room to talk you liar. You're the _angel_ , Gabriel!"

"Uh, look I was gonna tell you..." He said with another shocked expression.

Jessica rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. "Not likely. You said I could help. What happened to that."

Gabe appeased her by raising a hand. "You're right...I wasn't gonna tell you. It was dangerous," She shook her head at the angel. "I didn't need dumb and dumber getting mad at me or threatening to kill me if you got hurt, honey." Jess rolled her eyes at Gabe

"Well...what's the plan then?" Jess asked and stood up from the edge of the table.

"The plan? There's a plan?" He asked with a smile.

"Could you take this seriously please?" Jessica's voice rose and echoed around the room. They needed a plan to save Sam and Dean and get away from this butt hole of a hotel.

He held up a hand like it was supposed to appease her, "Look...everything is alright. I'm sending you back to the Winchesters." He told her and Jess squinted.

"What about the hotel and the people in the freezer?" The last time she checked, they were about to die. "And why did you teleport me here?"

"They're fine...anyway time to go!" He said a held up his fingers

"No, wait! Why am I here? "

Gabe took a "Let's just say I figured some of my other angel kin were gonna make an appearance and I didn't want you in the middle of all that." He gestured around him and gave her a wicked smile. His kin? So, his family. Who exactly had shown up? Cas perhaps or someone sinister?

"Why not?" She asked.

"Well, you know why now. Remember our discussion from earlier today." She nodded and looked back at him, wanting more information.

"Uh, earlier, you said I was—" She blinked and was met with the outside of the hotel building. Jessica fought the urge to curse Gabe and struggled to get out of a bush that he'd transported her to.

"REALLY!" She yelled up into the air. She knew he could hear her.

After five minutes of getting leaves out of her hair, Jess walked back around towards the entrance and to the impala. Seeing that her bag was in the back seat, Jess sighed and sent a begrudged thank you to Gabe for at least doing that before leaning against the boot of the car.

Quite frankly she wanted Dean and Sam to walk out that door right now and get in the car and drive away and never think about this night or what Gabe had told her ever again.

What Gabe had told her...about herself. Who she was...who she was meant to become made little sense to her. She didn't know how it was possible or why on the green earth something like that had to do with her but for now, she had decided not to mention it to the Winchesters, per Gabe's death threat. Jess sighed, she just wanted to sleep, and not in some crazy murder hotel.

When Sam and Dean emerged from the Hotel with Kali and not Gabe, Jessica had been baffled. She quickly accepted a hug from Sam and they both looked over each other to make sure the other was okay.

Of course, the brothers were glad to see her but Kali just upturned her nose and said. "Who is she?"

Before Jess could answer Sam spoke up, "She's with us." And flashed her one of his knowing smiles. Jess smiled back at Sam then looked to Dean before edging towards the Impala.

"Well, I'm ready to spin the dust if you guys are."

After getting the heck out of dodge, the brothers filled her in on what she'd missed. It had apparently been a rough evening for them. A hotel full of gods, Gabriel the Angel, and supposedly Lucifer was here...not that Jessica was willing to find out about that third one and was honestly quite glad she hadn't been there for that encounter.

"So what happened to you?" Dean asked her. Jess sighed.

"More like what didn't happen. I got benched by St. Gabe. Not much happened after that. I just waited around for him to throw me back down here." She said to them.

They dropped Kali off at some thrift store but from what Kali had said, it was only disguised as a thrift store. Jessica for all her compassion couldn't really care about this chick and her magic store as it was all Kali's fault they were all in this mess in the first place.

After Kali was gone, the three hunters continued to drive and drive until they had to make a stop. Dean said something about Gabe's last message to them or something. She decided to peace out and call Bobby across the street and then check in with Chloe to tell them what had happened.

By the time she'd made it back over to the brothers, Sam was slamming his laptop lid closed. Jessica eyed them and then asked what was going on.

Dean licked his lips, "Well, Gabe's dead but he had a plan...to send Lucifer back into the cage. We need the rings of the four horsemen." Dead? Gabe?

She highly doubted that the angel was dead but she just nodded along. "Great...well we have Famine's." Jess said. It had to be apart of some plan then, I mean he was an archangel for Pete's sake, it'd take more than a half vessel to take him down.

"And Wars'." Sam continued although he didn't sound happy about it.

Jess nodded and got in the backseat of the car. "Bobby says hi by the way."

Dean joined them both and started the engine. The music kicked on but Dean steered back toward their main conversation. Apparently, they didn't care what Bobby at that moment.

"All we need is Pestilence and Death's rings."

"Oh, is that all?" Sam said unconvinced. It was probably going to be a lot more complicated than just getting the rings but they did have some power on their side.

Jess was more than sure that Cas and Chloe would wanna help.

"It's a plan."


	57. Two Demons Walk into a Bar

**(Chloe's POV)**

Chloe hadn't seen Jessica or the boys in a while and it was starting to get unbearable down below. She had been keeping a low profile ever since the whole witch fiasco in Kirkwood and frankly she was annoyed. It'd gotten around that she'd been there and she figured that keeping on the down-low would be her best option.

Kurt had been all but ignoring her which kind of hurt her feelings but she was starting to realize that maybe Kurt didn't have her back anymore. He was acting strange and that meant nothing good.

She also hadn't heard from Castiel in a while and she was beggin' for a call from anyone at this point. She had to get out of this place but for all she knew the angel was dead and she had wasted her time trying to help the stupid brothers that were most likely gonna die too. Then there'd be no one to look after Jess and she would die, maybe Jess could settle down right here at the bar with her. 'It would make this job a bit bearable.' she thought as she wiped said bar down.

"Hello dear."

Chloe rolled her eyes and sighed as her mood turned even sourer. "And I was having such a good day."

Crowley took a seat at the bar beside the girl. "Don't be like that dear...it's only me." Therein was where the problem lay. She sent an exaggerated sigh his way.

"What do you want Crowley?"

"I'm just checking in...seeing how you're hopping along?" He asked.

_"Just_ checking in huh?" She sneered. It was never _just_ anything with Crowley, she'd learned that quickly after meeting him.

"What can I say. I'm a businessman and I like to make sure my investments are secure." That was the fancy way of making sure she wasn't causing trouble which was normal for Chloe. She toed the line more than other demons would but she was a special case.

"I'm fine."

"Are you? Last I heard you were fighting zombies with the Winchesters. Now, why would a lowly crossroads demon like you be helping them?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I've been making deals...doing the paperwork." Chloe looked at her nails.

"You and I both know that's a lie."

"What does it matter how I spend my downtime?" She sneered at him but still passed him a drink anyway.

Crowley accepted the Scotch. "You know...you remind me of me...when I was your age. So full of promise...until you started running around with that Angel." He threw back his drink before continuing in a tone that reminded Chloe of her father. "I should gut you where you stand Chlo."

Chloe slammed her hand on the bar top and stood up...which was becoming a norm for her recently and she really didn't mind. "You can't touch me. Or have you forgotten?" She sneered at him.

"Of course I haven't...how is dear ole brother anyway? I haven't heard from him personally but I hear higher management big shots have fewer vacation days...you know, job priority and all." He rattled on while he nursed his drink.

Chloe rolled her eyes at his words...like she wouldn't know how her brother was doing these days if she could even call him that. Crowley probably saw him more than her anyway. He was favorited among the management.

Chloe settled into her seat and pondered if she should take up darts as a hobby before she said.

"Look if you've come here to gossip about Aaron then please...just do us both a favor and leave." She swung her arm towards the door. Crowley smirked at her.

"I'm sorry, have I touched a nerve?" He chuckled. "Still—you playing house with Sam and Dean isn't looking good at all for business dear." She sighed and relented.

"Who else knows?"

"Word travels fast in Hell, you know that." He told her as he finished his drink.

"You and Kurt are the only..." she stopped. Kurt.

'Had that rat tattled on her?... Why would he?' Chloe thought to herself. She definitely couldn't trust him now.

"Ah...I can see the gears running around in that beautiful mind of yours Chloe. Maybe it's your friendship with Kurt that is running stale. Perhaps he has loyalties elsewhere. I mean, this is _his_ bar but where is he?" He said and eyed the scotch. He probably wanted another glass but Chloe was angry.

She snapped forward and grabbed his tie...and he let her. "Let's get one thing straight you dunderhead! We both know about your weird obsession with those brothers. You're rooting for them because if they can put ole Lucy back in the box then you'd be set for eternity." She said and then took a pause for dramatic effect.

She looked him in the eye. "But it goes deeper than that, doesn't it? Looks like we're in the same boat doesn't it?" She straightened his tie where she had pulled it. "If the higher management were to find out..." She shrugged and looked at her nails once more.

Crowley righted himself and made sure his tie was in perfect condition before flashing a half-smile then got down to business. "What do you want?" He enunciated each word.

'Gotcha.' Chloe thought and didn't wait for the dramatic pause. "I want out."

Crowley's half-smile turned down. "That's not happening."

Chloe shook her head and grabbed her soda. "Everyone knows that Aaron's deal went sideways...I want out. It's already been ten years Crowley."

"Look dear...I can move mountains but I can't mess with the order of things...not even for you. Perhaps if I actually cared maybe we'd be having a different conversation also I'm not super popular at work right now."

Chloe watched as he finally grabbed for the bottle of scotch and poured himself another drink. Everyone knew he'd gone rogue after Lilith died and because of that, Chloe knew how to get under his skin. She had no bargaining chips to use though and she also knew that begging wouldn't work with Crowley. What choice did she have? Fueled with determination and anger she continued on.

"I'm not asking Crowley! It's not fair I'm a demon...I never wrote down my own name...I never sealed a deal with anyone. The only reason my contract was transferred over to you was because the demon that held the deal before died...because of Sam Winchester but you already knew that." She said and sighed.

She was sick of all of this.

"What can I say. Dean's deal to save his brother had more repercussions than anyone wanted and we lost a lot of good people. Chloe, you know as well as anyone that there are so many more options for you in Hell. After you finish serving your time, you can do what you want."

"But I have no time to serve and you know it!" She yelled. "I just want what should have been mine...my life. I want back what was stolen from me. It isn't fair!"

"Hate to break it to you dear but life isn't fair." He said as he swirled the liquor around in his glass.

"Yeah, and deals are?" She had him there, it was true demons tried to get everything they could out of people because it looked good to management, but Aaron had dragged her down with him and it was technically against the rules. 

Because of a technicality, she was stuck here. Like this, a demon.

"Let's not pretend. Your life was over the day your brother made that deal dear. And besides even if you could go back to your life...it wouldn't be the same." Crowley said and looked at her like he was truly sad which surprised her all of two seconds. There was no way Crowley cared about her but she didn't think he'd say something like that.

"Help me out." Chloe tried to plead with him as he was her only chance. He gave her a look and stood from his stool.

"I've loved this little chat but I've places to be, people to see." And she lost him.

"We're not done!" She told him, still enraged.

"Oh, I know. Tah for now dear." He said and raised his scotch in goodbye and left...leaving Chloe back at square one, again.


	58. The Devil You Know

**(Jess's POV)**

Jess was going through some lore books waiting on a call from Sam when their day got a whole lot worse. Dean had called a few days back and said they were on the trail for Pestilence so it was her job to start looking into Death. It would probably be impossible but it was worth it to search thoroughly the lore just in case.

"Let me guess. another steaming hot pile of swine flu?" Bobby got right to it after saying hello to the boys.

"Yep."

"Doesn't make any sense Bobby, Pestilence touched down here I'm sure of it." Sam spoke up from their end of the phone.

"Why's he dealing up soft-serve like the swine flu when he's the Croatoan virus up his sleeve? I don't get it." Dean's voice came from the phone.

"Doesn't matter, what matters is, this is the fourth town he's hit that we know of and we're still eating his dust."

"Maybe he's biding his time?" Jess asked.

"If it is just a distraction why'd he do it though?" Dean asked which made Jess think that Pestilence probably liked toying with people. His name was a dead giveaway.

"Did ya get anything, even a snowball as a probable next target?"

"No pattern we can see."

"Bobby and I took the liberty to trace the cases on a map. All of the towns you guys have been to, well they're headed East." Jess said and sighed.

"So, go East." Bobby said.

"Bobby, we're in West Nevada, East is practically all there is." Dean's voice came through the phone once more.

"Well, you better get to driving then."

"Hey, be careful guys," Jess said before Bobby hung up. "Well the books aren't gonna read themselves," Jess said and went back to her chair as Bobby wheeled into the kitchen saying something about making some food. She wished she could help the boys but she was given her own task to complete.

Jess was getting impatient. She loved research and reading but this was taking the cake. She couldn't find any info on Death, well anything helpful. She found that he barely showed his face but she knew that already. She'd also learned that he was the most powerful out of all the horseman but of course he was. 

Other than that she'd hit a wall that was blocked by three more walls inside of a mountain. She needed a little help. She looked to see Bobby fiddling with something and Jess headed downstairs towards the panic room. As she made it to the hatch door she turned and surveyed the room and pulled out her phone. Voicemail.

"Cas, where ever you are we could really use any insight you have. Bobby and I are drawing blanks here. It's like there was never any info written down about the horseman other than the basics. I don't know what they've done to you but," Jess sighed. She was worried about the angel. It was taking him longer than usual to get back to them. "Anyway let me know if you get this. See you soon hopefully." She ended the call. Hopefully, they'd all be together again soon.

• • • • • •

Jess was currently making herself a cup of tea in the kitchen before she went back to researching. 

"Yea, I followed up. Nasty omens, but none of its Death with a capital 'D.' Well, just give me a ring if it turns into anything. And, Rufus...You watch your ass out there." Bobby said into the receiver.

"Any word from the boys yet?" Jess asked from the kitchen sink as she was grabbing a freshly cleaned mug.

"Sam called. He's worried about the plan, ya know the eventual plan of throwing the devil back in the cage." Bobby said from his desk in the study. Jess paused. She forgot that the day was getting closer and closer.

"You don't think Sam would-" She didn't want to finish her own sentence.

"No. I don't think he would but that might not stop him." Bobby said with a gruff. His explanation didn't really help her out. Now it felt woeful in the house.

Out of nowhere comes a voice. "Chin up. Cavalry's arrived."

Bobby quickly turned in his wheelchair and cocked his revolver. Jessica turned around from the stove and saw a man dressed in black...he seemed like a demon if his clothes were anything to go by. Also, he didn't use the front door....she'd have to check the warding later. She grabbed a pistol someone had left by the sink and backed up a few feet to peer out the window. She couldn't see any demons outside which was hopefully a good thing.

"Charming. That won't work on me. Name's Crowley. Maybe you've..."

Bobby interrupted the man. "You're Crowley?" The name was instantly familiar to Jess as Chloe had just told her about him the other day.

"In the flesh—of a moderately successful Literary Agent out of New York."

Literal seconds after Crowley finished talking, Bobby shot him. Jess took this time to cross the room and stand behind Bobby, trying not the jump in shock as the demon flew back from them.

Crowley's back hit the kitchen counter... of course, Bobby couldn't kill him, but he could make him hurt quite a bit. The boys had told her the only way to kill a demon with either exorcising them or with Sam's trusty demon knife, but at the moment she was lacking both.

"Aah! I see you have heard of me. I liked this suit," He said and looked up to Jess with a grin. "Well hello there Jessica...I've heard so much about you." Crowley knew about her?

Bobby kept the gun up and ignored Crowley's inert action with Jess. "What are you doing here?"

Crowley looked back to down Bobby and shrugged. "Looking out for Crowley."

"Meaning?"

"The boys are on to ring number 3, but we still need number 4. I'm here to help." The King of the Crossroads said with a smirk. Well, when she thought of help she didn't picture this dude.

From what she'd heard from Chloe...he was more often than not going to stab them in the back when he was done protecting himself. She had gotten a text from Chlo yesterday telling her to be wary if he showed up. She'd been adamant throughout the text message that Jessica shouldn't be alone with Crowley and with what she knew about him now...it was important that she stay as far as she could from the demon.

"You know where Death is?" Bobby asked.

"No. Haven't the foggiest."

Bobby quickly grabbed a shotgun that was waiting for him off a side table and aimed it right at Crowley who had thrown his handkerchief down on the table in the kitchen.

"Well, then get the hell off my property before I blast you so full of rock salt, you crap margaritas." The hunter said.

Crowley rose his hand as he continued to talk. "That's a mite unfriendly, seeing as I could be getting you Death's location in about the time it'd take you to reload."

Jessica perked up at the mention of Death again. She'd been reading for two days straight and she'd found nothing at all on him. If Crowley gave them the information they needed then they'd be one step closer to shoving the devil back in his box.

"You're just gonna chat some demons up and hope they don't recognize you?"

"God, no. That could get me killed. But there is this little spell that I know." Crowley said. A spell?

"That so?"

The demon nodded. "Results are 100% guaranteed."

"Okay. Then why are you snake-oiling me?" Bobby asked. The old hunter seemed very wary of the demon after he said spell.

"Well, it's a little bit...embarrassing. There's this...technicality." Crowley took a moment...probably to be dramatic. "I need a little something to get the magic going."

Jessica sighed...nothing was ever free when it came to demons. "What now?" She asked.

"You make a wish. I can give you anything you want. Up to and including Death's coordinates. All I need is..."He trailed off.

Bobby finished what he was going to say. "My soul."

"Bobby, No!" Jess warned. He just gave her a look and turned back to Crowley who was going on about Grammys or something.

"Okay. Here's my counter." He said and shot Crowley again but this time with the shotgun. Jessica aimed Bobby's other gun, the one she had picked up from before. The demon had stumbled back and fallen against the sink in the kitchen.

Jess and Bobby heard an 'Ow!' And then the demon was gone. Bobby turned his chair around and Jessica followed him to see Crowley leaning against the desk. He was examining his suit.

"Bloody h*ll! Feisty."

The two hunters both aimed as Bobby said."Get out."

"I'll give it right back."

Bobby narrowed his eyes. "You think I'm a natural-born idjit?"

"Quite the contrary. Look, you're right to be suspicious. But I'm your ally. Enemy of my enemy and all that. I need the devil back in his stock." He said and then looked at Jess. "Unless you want to take his place?"

Bobby cocked the shotgun again for emphasis. "That's not happening." Jess's heart panged. Bobby was so overprotective it gave her a warm fuzzy feeling.

Crowley held his hand up again and then nodded.

"That's alright, so I promise you...temporary loan. I'll give it...Right...Back."

Jessica rolled her eyes...there was no way Crowley was gonna do that. This whole house visit reeked of desperation...but what choice did they have?

"I'll do it," Bobby said and lowered the shotgun.

• • • • • •

**(Chloe's POV)**

Tracking down Kurt had been a piece of cake. He was shopping in Paris...as per usual. He was looking at some printed pants completely unawares when Chloe grabbed his arm. The demon jumped ten feet when he saw it was she who was holding his arm hostage.

"Long time no see Kurtie."

"Chloe...what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for L'Isle Sur La Sorgue. I'm in the market for a new leather jacket." She frowned at him. "Why do you think I'm here you idiot?" She hissed, her fingers digging into Kurt's arm. "I heard a rumor that you let slip that I may or may not have been working with the Winchesters. How that happen huh?"

Kurt gulped. "Look...we need to talk, but not here."

Chloe sighed and pulled her hand away from Kurt. He turned slightly and was met with a spray bottle. "I'm going to give you five seconds to tell me why you fibbed or you're gonna be rotten mush on the floor."

Kurt's eyes blinked and then he smirked, "You wouldn't hurt your oldest friend."

Chloe immediately sprayed Kurt on the neck, his skin started to sizzle. He yelped out and glared at her..."I can't believe you just sprayed me with holy water!"

"If you don't start talking, you won't have a mouth to do so..."

"Okay okay...," The words came out in a ragged breath before transporting them both safely inside his hotel room. "Just lose the spray bottle."

Chloe sat the spray bottle down on the coffee table and made herself comfortable on the plush couch that rested behind her.

"Would you like a drink?"

"What I would like Kurt, is an explanation as to why you threw me under the bus?"

Kurt fiddled with a glass, his back turned to Chloe. She watched and waited as he collected himself. Usually, he was calm or sassy but today he just seemed frightened...or intimidated.

Kurt sat himself down across from Chloe and rose his drink up...wasting time. Chloe looked at her nails while she waited. He could play all he wanted but she was getting the information she deserved.

"So..."

"I'm sorry Chlo...really I am."

"You don't sound sorry." Chloe sneered and sat up straighter, causing Kurt to freeze.

"Look, the other night...I was at the bar. Work was over and I just wanted to relax. These guys came in...I've never met them swear on my soul. They started asking all kinds of questions. About you and that girl that's following the Winchesters around. They didn't seem like the type of fellas that ask politely so I told them what I knew. I didn't want too but you have to understand Chloe...my reputation—"

"No one cares about your stinking reputation Kurt. We're crossroads demons! We are the scum under the boots of everyone else...you should have come to me. Why didn't you!?" He was stupid and she couldn't trust him at all now.

Sooner or later, his vanity was gonna get someone killed.

"Because the last time we talked you threatened me in my own bar!" He said and gulped down his drink. 'Wow.' She thought and let out a laugh...one that didn't convey anything but disgust.

"Who were they?"

"I don't know...called themselves the Knight Riders."

She wasn't sure if he was telling her the truth...she couldn't be sure of anything that pertained to Kurt anymore...not after what had been going on the last few weeks with the Winchester brothers...but she did know one thing.

It was time to get back to Jessica before the whole world decided to implode.

Chloe rolled her eyes at the name. "Okay, that's a start."

"So are we good?"

"You're on thin ice. The next time I hear you've double-crossed me...your life is over. Keep your mouth shut from now on." She said as she stood from the small couch and vanished into thin air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L'Isle Sur La Sorgue is a huge flea market in France. We definitely thought that Kurt would be there, shopping for deals...you know.


	59. Two Minutes to Midnight

**(Jess's POV)**

The house was quiet. It had been from three days after Crowley had left. She had watched as Bobby had 'temporarily' gifted his soul to Crowley which was uncomfortable to say the least. She hadn't known when the boys would be home but they hadn't called and with no other forms of contact, Jess was a tad worried.

At the moment Jessica was taking a break from researching and cleaning up the house. It was getting to the point where they couldn't move around each other comfortably. After starting a load of laundry and collecting and finishing the dishes Jess made lunch which wasn't much. They'd have to go to the store soon so they didn't starve.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jess looked up from the table to see the brothers walk through the kitchen door and she let out a sigh. Finally, they were home. She was about to say hello but they looked to be in a heated argument.

"Dean."

"No, don't Dean me. You've had some stupid ideas in the past, but this. Did you guys know about this?" Dean said and looked at them.

"Hello to you too. How's your day going Jess? Oh fine just worrying my pants off over here while you guys play national treasure," Jess moved across the kitchen to meet them and crossed her arms. "Guys it's been three days. Can't you pick up a phone or something?" Jess asked.

"What?" Bobby asked and wheeled himself into the room. She didn't know if he was talking to her or the boys.

"Jess we're sorry we didn't call. The last couple of days have been uh not so good." Sam said searching through the fridge.

"Everything okay?" Bobby asked with a concerned voice.

"Yeah-"

"No Sam's gonna say yes to the Devil," Bobby couldn't hide the guilty look on his face .

"Wait you knew?" Dean questioned the old man. "Well, thanks for the heads up."

"Maybe if you answered your phone then," Jess said and stood from her seat then looked to Sam. "Chloe is M.I.A., Cas is...we're already outmanned here. We're not gonna let you to do this." She shook her head, her mind made up.

"Thank you, at least someone isn't off their rocker," Dean said and looked back to Sam. "You can't do this."

"That's the consensus," Sam said and sighed.

"Alright awesome, then end of discussion," Dean said and Jess moved to make them some sandwiches. 'I'm sure they were hungry.' Jess thought as she gathered what she needed. It didn't take long and she was just finishing them up when Dean's phone rang.

"Cas?" Dean asked and Jess dropped the knife she was holding and looked around the room. She didn't see the angel anywhere.

"Is he okay?" Sam asked and Jess looked over to Dean, on the phone. Everyone stepped or in Bobby's case wheeled closer to Dean.

"We all thought you were dead. Where the hell are you man?... Are you okay?... You wanna elaborate?... So, a hospital?" Jess looked over at Sam with a worried expression.

"Well I gotta tell you, man, you're just in time. We figured out a way to pop satan's box. It's a long story. Look we're going after Pestilence now. So if you wanna zap over here...What do you mean?... What do you mean you're out of angel mojo...Human. Wow, sorry."

"What?" Jess asked more worried than before. Jess sighed and turned back around the table to take a second. Cas was human. Many questions came to her. Did he know this would happen? Could he get his powers back? Did Chloe know and not tell her? Chloe said that she had to do something for Cas. Was it getting him to the hospital? She turned around and sat the food down.

"So, I guess I'll get to work," Bobby said and wheeled out of the room.

"Should I go get Cas?" Jess asked.

"He's all the way in Louisiana."

"I could hop on a plane and we could meet you guys wherever you end up." Sam and Dean looked at each other.

"You said you hadn't heard from Chloe?" Sam asked, Jess, sighed and shook her head. She knew he wasn't gonna let her go without back up.

"Jess-"

"I know. I thought I would try at least," She shrugged. "So I'll grab my bag and meet you outside in 10." She said and moved around the table for the door.

"Not so fast. How goes the looking for Big daddy reaper?" Dean asked from his chair. Before she could say anything Bobby spoke up.

"Slow actually." She shot Bobby a look. Looks like they were hiding the Crowley Death deal for now which wasn't good. it in fact was stupid...but she wasn't about to rat Bobby out.

"Well that settles it. Looks like you can't have all the fun Jessie." 

Jess sighed loudly and moved into the study, already done with the Winchesters.

She knew the boys were leaving her here again. Maybe it was better this way. She wouldn't be in the way. The boys didn't have to worry about her and she really should stay to keep looking for information about Death. Anything she could potentially find could be somewhat helpful or it could be a whole lot of nada like the last three days had been. She moved over to the tall bookshelf and grabbed a few more books to go through.

"Jess."

"Hmm." She said while she stacked a few books up in her arms. She looked over to see Sam at the edge of the table.

"Everything okay?" He asked and then moved over to the shelf to help her with the books.

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong I love the books. It's just.. I can't wait until we get a break. A small one. I just want to sleep for three days straight without having to worry." She said with a small smile totally not letting on to how not alright everything was.

"You know I really am sorry about not calling. I uh wasn't in a good place. One of my buddies back at school Brady. I found out he uh well...um killed Jessica, you know the one I don't talk about." Sam said and Jess stopped short, placing her books on the table.

"Sam, why didn't you say something? Gosh," Jess said and pulled the giant in for a hug. 

Sam and Dean were cursed that much she knew though it was an unspoken rule not to talk about it. Just when something you thought was laid to rest for good, someway and somehow it too was always dragged up for them. "You coulda called. I would've been there as Dean tries not to show his soft side too much." She tried to make light of the situation a little to make him feel better but she knew it really didn't change anything. 

She hugged him a tad tighter.

"Well I didn't spend the first two days very sober. I didn't want you to I guess hear any of that and it's been years since it happened so-" Sam shrugged in their embrace. She pulled her head away from his shoulder.

"No, don't do that. You loved her right? Just because she's gone doesn't mean you forget. Yes we move on, think of the happy memories but don't forget Sam." Jess figured he knew she was talking to him but also herself. 

She didn't want to compare Rachel to everyone they lost but Jess knew she would always live with Rachel in her mind and heart. Of course, she herself didn't have a daily reminder of her lost loved ones but still.

'Maybe they should give me a nickname that way Sam didn't have to-' Jess thought and found herself tugged back to the younger Winchester, her thought cut off. They didn't say anything after that. 

She was just thankful for the hug and that Sam had shared something personal with her. She caught Dean in the doorway of the kitchen looking at them. He hadn't said anything but it looked like he'd been there a while. He didn't look annoyed per say but she knew he wanted to get rolling soon. 

With one more squeeze Jess moved away from Sam. Sam blinked down at her then turned to Dean.

"Alright go kill a horseman," Jess said a patted him on the arm. "And be careful, both of you." She told them as they headed for the door each ready to face whatever was ahead.


End file.
